Every community needs a dog park because it provides our canine friends with the ideal place to not only exercise but socialize with other dogs while it’s off the leash. If your community does not have its own dog park, you can help build one by proposing to your city officials so they can provide a public space available for use. But if you have an extra space in your place, you can build a private doggie park for your dog and several of your friends. It is a lot easier to transform a private yard or indoor space into a mini dog park where you and your dog can bond together.
But if you are aiming for the big star, becoming the proponent of the first dog park in your community is not an impossible feat. Here’s how.
Build Local Support
Although you already have the initial idea, it is best to gain local support by meeting up with other dog owners in your community. There’s a big chance that they also want to have a local doggie park. You can reach out to other dog lovers in your community so you can discuss your ideas of building for the community. You can even leverage your social media accounts so you can gain more following and reach more audience that can help support your idea.
You can also meet up with your local pet stores and veterinarians to help solidify your ideas.
Look for an Accessible Space Ideal for A Dog Park
A dog park must be built on an accessible site with at least 1 acre of space. Start looking for an open property with public access in your community. Be sure that the property is open and grassy so dogs can run more comfortably.
You can also look for available open spaces in public parks and see if the city can provide you that space for the community. Consider additional potential options like an old industrial building or constantly vacant buildings/lots that the city may want to reclaim for city purposes.
Look for open spaces in public parks to see if you can use that space.
Creating A Budget For Your Idea
A dog park needs a budget mostly for fencing requirements and overall park maintenance. Transforming an acre of land into a fully operational dog park can cost around $30,000 for construction work, fencing and other amenities needed by a dog park. Depending on your proposal, your community may extend some financial help and you can also solicit funding from other organizations. You can consult a local contractor to plan out all the building requirements and materials and get a rough estimate of how much it will cost to build a dog park from ground up. Of course, if building an inside park, appropriate paint, flooring, and accessibility to water/janitorial equipment is critical.
Create A Proposal And Present It To Your City Officials
Your proposal will be the backbone for the success of your ideas. Make sure that your goals are included in it along with other key issues such as maintenance, funding, and any needed ordinance or zoning changes. Let your officials know of the local support you were able to build and reiterate the importance of a dog park to the community.
Once your city officials receive your proposal for a dog park, it will be up to them to follow through or not. Although it may not be approved immediately, make sure to reach out to them and follow up on concerns so you can continue discussions if necessary. When an agreement is reached, build that park and watch your fur baby as she meets new friends and enjoys freedom in a (somewhat) controlled environment.