Backers of Dog Park Will Not Give Up

It was close — doggone close — to use the cliché once more. But the fight for a city dog park is far from over.

Despite a tremendous effort to generate votes in PetSafe’s “Bark for Your Park” competition that featured a $100,000 grand prize, Lynchburg fell short. The city lost out to Huntington, W. Va.

Lynchburg parks manager Andy Reeder congratulated everyone involved with generating online votes for the contest and took notice of the immense community support the effort attracted.

Dog park advocates are not giving up the battle yet. Thomas Strayhorn, president of Friends of the Lynchburg Dog Park declared confidently that the dog park will be built. “I think this (competition) has shown there’s a lot of community support for it.”

So the nonprofit organization has already kicked off the first phase of a fund drive to raise $35,000. That would be enough to allow the park to open. City Council has already agreed to creation of a public dog park if residents can raise the money for the necessary equipment. A site for the park has been established at the Blackwater Creek Athletic area off Monticello Avenue.

The park, which is projected to cost slightly more than $100,000, would be the city’s first and only one for dogs to wander around without a leash and to socialize with other dogs. It’s a fenced-in area — one for large dogs and one for smaller ones — where the canines can move about freely and get to know their neighbors from up or down the street or even from across town.

Niro Rasanayagam, secretary/treasurer of the citizens’ group, said the support for competition had been “eye-opening” for the organization. She added her hope that the group can “harness some of that energy going forward.”

When the disappointing results of the competition were announced at City Hall earlier this month, park supporters and city officials urged the public to dig into their pockets and donate to the cause.

“Give $10 or $20 or more, whatever you can afford,” said Parks and Recreation Director Kay Frazier. She added that the public enthusiasm she has seen for the project has made it one of the most rewarding things she’s ever worked on.

Rasanayagam offered an appropriate way to kick off the fund drive. She challenged everyone who voted for Lynchburg in the contest to make a donation.

Mayor Joan Foster alluded to the spirit that accompanied the drive to generate votes for the PetSafe prize when she said, “In spirit and heart and community togetherness, we rank No.1,” she said, “and don’t you forget it.”

At last check, the dogs were giving an excited bark about the prospect of having their own park. Now it’s up to their owners, other residents, dog lovers everywhere and the city to make sure the money is raised and the park goes forward.