Canine comrades called to help cause

Lassie, fetch my wallet.

Supporters of a public dog park proposal are hoping local animal lovers will break out their checkbooks and donate to their caninefriendly cause.

“It’s been very encouraging so far,” said Niro Rasanayagam, secretary/ treasurer of the newly formed nonprofit Friends of the Lynchburg Dog Park. “… Things seem to have caught on really quickly in just a few months. We’re excited.”

Friends of the Lynchburg Dog Park, a citizen-driven group that was awarded 501(c)(3) status earlier this year, is working to bring an off-leash dog park to Lynchburg.

The city has already agreed to contribute a piece of land in the Blackwater Creek Athletic Area off Monticello Avenue that will be used as the park’s future home. But that arrangement was made contingent on a promise that no taxpayer dollars would be sought to help out with start-up costs.

Organizers are going to rely entirely on donations to get the dog park up and running. They’ve set an initial goal of $35,000 to purchase basic equipment such as a fence and pet waste disposal stations.

“Nothing is too small,” Rasanayagam said. “We’re happy to get a $5 donation all the way up to $2,500 or much more. It’s whatever individuals can afford.”

The Friends of the Lynchburg Dog Park has started some preliminary fundraising since securing tax-exempt status, but no major public push has been launched yet. Activities carried out by the allvolunteer crew so far include: setting up a website that accepts online donations; circulating brochures at area businesses; manning booths at community events; and approaching local veterinarians about sponsorship opportunities.

Rasanayagam said they’ve already raised about $5,000, which she described as heartening given that the group hasn’t really started “hammering on things” yet.

The contributions collected to date include $2,500 from the Animal Hospital of Lynchburg and $500 from the Dog Owners Training Club of Lynchburg. Supporters of the dog park are interested in holding a big public fundraiser but haven’t settled on a plan yet. They’re searching for an event that will be different from other local animal- related fundraisers — “We don’t want to steal someone else’s idea,” said Rasanayagam — but also generate the biggest bang for their buck.

“If anyone has a good fundraising idea, please ask them to call us,” Rasanayagam said. “If at all possible, we want to make this park happen sooner rather than later.”

Organizers are hoping to be able to unveil the new dog park by next spring. They remain optimistic about their chances of meeting that deadline. Off-leash dog parks are highly sought after by pet owners because of the opportunities for exercise and socialization they present for dogs.

If this project is successful, it would create Lynchburg’s first sanctioned off-leash area for dogs. The park would be a public facility with no admission fee; managing it would be the responsibility of Friends of the Lynchburg Dog Park and Parks & Recreation.