Group wants to set up dog park

By Ashley Luthern

aluthern@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

A new, nonprofit organization wants to put a dog park in Boardman Park.

Friends of Paws Town is looking to raise $50,000 to make a fenced area where dogs could play unleashed. The proposed site is near the Southern Boulevard entrance of Boardman Park.

A kickoff event, “Canine Carnival,” will be from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at the park, said Jason Loree, organizer of Friends of Paws Town and township administrator.

The carnival will include a costume contest for the dogs, Chinese auction, face painting, pet vaccinations, a dog kissing booth and a puppy chow eating contest for pet owners, Loree said. The chow will be cereal covered in chocolate, peanut butter and sugar.

“We think it’s a good thing,” said Dan N. Slagle Jr., Boardman Park executive director. “It’ll be a benefit to the dog owners but also to the other people who use the park.”

Slagle said some park users feel uncomfortable near dogs, no matter how friendly, and having the dogs in one area would put people at ease.

“I’ve learned that [dog parks] are a very popular trend, and people in other areas who have done this speak highly of it,” Slagle said.

Friends of Paws Town is developing the design and site plan now, Loree said.

For more information about the project, visit www.PawsTown.org.