A new dog park in Wesley Chapel carries the names of two pets that belonged to a ranching family whose cattle operation has run on the same land for more than a century.
PulteGroup's Vida's Way community cut the ribbon on Fudge & Rusty's Dog Park on Saturday, Aug. 1, according to The Laker/Lutz News. The park is named for beloved dogs of the DePue family, whose ranch once covered the ground where the neighborhood now stands.
The community itself is named for Vida Barnes DePue, the family matriarch who ran the cattle operation alone for more than 50 years after her husband died in 1954. She was born and raised on the ranch, preferred Brahman cattle and had a favorite cow named Tinkerbell. Her grandson Michael Nutt has recalled that she would work and pin cows with her bare feet.
Vida DePue died in 2010 at age 88.
A ranch since the 1800s
The DePue family has owned the land since the 1800s, with the cattle operation dating to the 1920s. At its peak, the ranch included more than 100 acres of citrus groves — tangerines and kumquats — plus watermelon fields in the 1980s. The total family landholding spans roughly 1,800 acres.
DePue Ranch remains an active cattle operation next door to Vida's Way, running nearly 300 head of cattle. Its exterior fence line stretches more than 9.5 miles. A 1976 tractor nicknamed "Big Momma," with no radio or air conditioning, still runs on the property, according to the Vida's Way community history page.
Development preserves the heritage
Pulte Homes acquired about 350 acres from the DePue family after the two sides began talking in early 2020. Phase 1 includes more than 700 single-family homes on over 330 acres, part of a larger 931-acre master-planned area called DePue East.
The developer wove the ranch's story throughout the neighborhood. Street names honor the DePue family, and the community logo is modeled after an actual cattle brand.
"Many developers have reached out to us over the years, but we were impressed with the extensive time and effort the Pulte team took to learn about and understand our rich family history," Nutt said in August 2023, when the development was first announced. "We believe Vida's Way will be a lasting tribute to her life."
What's ahead
The dog park opening marks the latest milestone for the growing community. Vida's Way sits less than five miles from State Road 54 and State Road 56 near Interstate 75. DePue Ranch continues running cattle on the remaining acreage next door.
