Barking Puppy
Dogs running in a grassy park at the edge of the woods.

Barking Puppy · Community project

Let’s build a placefor dogs to be dogs

A safe place to run. A place to play. A place to meet the neighbors.

We are bringing the community together to make a dog park built by the people who will use it. We need more than money. We need land, skill, hands, and a team.

Explore the projectJoin the project

$0

Funded so far

19

Pieces to build

9

Roles open

$0 of $65,000 estimated community goal

0%

Estimates until we have a site and bids. The park is not built yet. This page is how we organize the work.

Imagine this space

The vision

Room to run without a leash. Separate spaces where small and large dogs can play. Shade when it’s hot. Water when they’re thirsty. Benches when their people need a break. A clean, secure place built around dogs, and used by the whole community.

Aerial view of a finished community dog park with two yards, trees, and paths.
Reference: what a finished park can look like. We do not have land yet.

Proposed layout

A simple map of the spaces. The real drawing comes after the site does.

Parking and bikes

Off the road. Out of the neighbor’s driveway.

Double gate

In, pause, then into the yard.

Open run

The big yard. Full speed.

Small-dog yard

Same park. Smaller play.

Shade and water

Rest, drink, sit.

Agility

Play that is not just a loop.

Dogs running across an open grassy park.

Open run

Room to run without a leash.

Small dogs playing in a separate fenced yard.

Small dog area

A yard sized for the little ones.

A dog drinking from a park water station.

Fresh water

A drink when play goes long.

A shade sail over benches in a dog park.

Shade

A break when the sun is high.

A dog using simple outdoor agility equipment.

Agility and play

Something to climb, jump, and figure out.

People sitting on park benches while dogs rest nearby.

A place to sit

Neighbors meeting neighbors.

More than a fenced field

Why a dog park

A thoughtfully designed dog park gives dogs room to exercise, explore, and socialize. It gives their people another reason to spend time outside and meet the people around them. Done well, it becomes part of the community.

For dogs

Exercise, exploration, play, and a chance to be a dog.

For people

A reason to go outside and meet the people around you.

For the community

A shared place people have a reason to care for.

What it actually takes

The master plan

This is a real project. Find the land. Make it legal. Design it. Fund the pieces. Build it. Open it. You can see where you fit.

  1. 01

    Find the right place

    Land identification, ownership, access, parking, neighbors, utilities, drainage, and whether dogs and people can actually use it.

  2. 02

    Make it possible

    Property rights, land-use review, insurance, agreements, accessibility, site limits, and who is responsible once it is open.

  3. 03

    Design the park

    Layout, entrances, fencing, dog areas, drainage, paths, shade, water, planting, and equipment.

  4. 04

    Fund it

    Member gifts, sponsors, donated materials, professional time, and grants if they fit. Piece by piece, written down.

  5. 05

    Build it

    Site prep, fencing, water, paths, planting, equipment, signs, and cleanup.

  6. 06

    Open it

    Readiness check, volunteer orientation, a community opening, and a plan to keep it going.

Help build the park, one piece at a time

Fund something you can see

Not a round number with no list. Each card is a real piece of the park, what it does for dogs, and an estimated cost. Costs stay labeled estimated until we have bids.

This is not a registered charity and not a public fundraising campaign. Members of the pack can choose to help with money, materials, or time. Tag @barkingpuppy8. Use #BarkingPuppy #BarkingPuppyGives $BP. We write it down so the pack can see it.

A double-gated dog park entrance.Estimated

Double-gated entrance

$3,500 needed

$0 funded

One gate closes before the next opens. That holding space is how dogs stay in and other dogs wait their turn.

Help fund the entrance
Chain-link fencing around a grassy park.Estimated

Perimeter fencing

$12,000 needed

$0 funded

The fence is the park. Height, posts, and no gaps at the ground. Dogs can run because the edge is solid.

Help fund the fence
Small dogs in a separate fenced yard.Estimated

Small-dog enclosure

$5,500 needed

$0 funded

A second yard so small dogs are not in the middle of a full-speed run. Same park, safer play.

Help fund the small-dog yard
A stainless steel dog water fountain in a park.Estimated

Dog water station

$1,200 needed

$0 funded

Fresh water during play. Longer visits stay comfortable. People do not have to pack a bowl every time.

Fund this item
A drainage line and wet ground along a park field.Estimated

Water hookup

$2,300 needed

$0 funded

The fountain only works if water can reach it. Line, shutoff, and a freeze plan for winter.

Help fund the hookup
A shade sail over a dog park seating area.Estimated

Shade structure

$6,000 needed

$0 funded

Dogs and people get out of direct sun. A rest spot turns a short stop into an afternoon.

Help build the shade
Wooden benches at the edge of a dog park.Estimated

Benches

$2,400 needed

$0 funded

Humans sit. Dogs still play. That is how neighbors start talking.

Help fund benches
Young shade trees planted along a park path.Estimated

Trees

$2,000 needed

$0 funded

Shade that grows. Wind break. A park that looks like a place, not a lot.

Help plant the trees
A dog-waste bag station beside a park path.Estimated

Waste stations

$800 needed

$0 funded

Bags and a can, close to the path. A clean park is a park people keep using.

Help fund waste stations
Outdoor dog agility equipment on wood chips.Estimated

Agility and play

$4,500 needed

$0 funded

A tunnel, a few jumps, a ramp. Work for the body and the brain, not just a loop around the fence.

Help fund play equipment
A wooden park sign post near a bulletin board.Estimated

Signs

$1,200 needed

$0 funded

Hours, rules, who to call, which gate is which. Clear signs keep the park kind.

Help fund the signs
A gravel walking path through a park.Estimated

Paths

$4,500 needed

$0 funded

A firm path so strollers, wheels, and wet days still work. Dogs have grass. People have somewhere to walk.

Help fund the paths
Planted trees and a park path.Estimated

Landscaping

$3,000 needed

$0 funded

Native plants, mulch, and edges that hold. The park should look cared for on day one.

Help fund the planting
A drainage swale along the edge of a grassy field.Estimated

Drainage

$8,000 needed

$0 funded

A wet field becomes a mud pit, then a closed park. Water has to leave the play area.

Help fund drainage
A bicycle rack and gravel parking pull-off at a park entrance.Estimated

Parking and bike rack

$1,500 needed

$0 funded

A safe place to leave a car or a bike without blocking the gate or a neighbor’s drive.

Help fund access
A small wooden storage shed at the edge of a park.Estimated

Storage

$2,200 needed

$0 funded

Tools, bags, extra bowls, a hose. A small shed keeps the park from looking like a pile.

Help fund storage
A storage shed with a wall-mounted first-aid box.Estimated

First-aid station

$450 needed

$0 funded

A kit on the wall for scrapes, stings, and the small things that happen when dogs play.

Help fund first aid
A wooden community bulletin board in a park.Estimated

Community board

$350 needed

$0 funded

Lost dogs, volunteer days, a thank-you. The park talks to the people who use it.

Help fund the board
A park entrance and path that may need lighting.Estimated

Lighting

$3,600 needed

$0 funded

If the site needs it. A little light at the gate and the path for winter evenings. Skip it if the park is daylight only.

Help fund lighting

Maybe what this project needs is you

Money isn’t the only thing we need

Building a dog park takes people who know how to turn an idea into a real place. If you have professional experience, equipment, materials, connections, or some time, we want to hear from you.

Real estate / land

People who can help find and evaluate possible sites.

I can help

Legal

Attorneys willing to look at property, org, liability, agreements, and how the park would operate.

I can help

Architecture / landscape

People who can turn the vision into a site plan that can actually be built.

I can help

Engineering

Civil, drainage, grading, accessibility, utilities.

I can help

Project management

Someone to keep milestones, vendors, volunteers, dependencies, and the budget in one place.

I can help

Construction

Contractors and trades: fencing, excavation, concrete, landscaping, plumbing.

I can help

Fundraising and sponsors

People who can talk to businesses, foundations, and community partners.

I can help

Photography / story

Document the work. Help the pack see it.

I can help

Community volunteers

Cleanup, planting, events, outreach, setup. Hands and Saturday mornings.

I can help
Tell us how you can help

Follow the park from idea to opening day

Project status

Every stuck point is a call for help. Open a step to see what we need.

  1. VisionDone

    This page is the vision. A park dogs can use, built by the people who will use it.

  2. Community teamIn progress

    Open roles are on this page. We need land, legal, design, build, and people who show up.

    Take a role →
  3. Site searchIn progress

    We are looking for land that can hold a park for years: size, access, neighbors, drainage, water, and the rules that apply.

    Know a property? →
  4. Site securedNext

    A place we can actually use, with the rights and neighbors understood.

  5. DesignNext

    A layout for dogs, people, water, shade, and how you get in and out.

  6. ApprovalsNext

    Land use, insurance, accessibility, and whoever has to say yes.

  7. Build fundNext

    Piece by piece, with estimates until bids exist. The pack sees where it goes.

  8. ConstructionNext

    Dirt, fence, water, paths, shade, then the small things that make it a park.

  9. Opening dayNext

    A community day, then the ordinary days after that. That is the real park.

Every dog park starts with the right piece of land

The land search

We are looking for a location that can safely and practically hold the park for years. If you know a property, bark. Town, size, who owns it if you know, and why it might work.

Suggest a location

We’re considering

  • Size that can hold two yards, not just one loop
  • Ownership and whether it can be used long term
  • Safe access for cars, bikes, and feet
  • Parking that does not fight the neighbors
  • What sits next to it
  • Drainage and where water goes
  • Water availability
  • Terrain dogs can run on
  • Existing shade, or room to plant it
  • Accessibility
  • Who maintains it in year two
  • Land-use rules that apply

See what we’re building together

Where the money would go

Estimates will change as the site, design, and vendor proposals are finalized. We’ll update this as better information shows up. Land is still TBD.

Estimated dog park budget by project area
Project areaEstimatedFundedStatus
Land / siteTBD—Research
Fencing and gates$21,000—Funding
Water$3,500—Funding
Shade$6,000—Funding
Drainage and site work$8,000—Funding
Paths and landscaping$9,500—Funding
Equipment and amenities$13,400—Funding
Lighting, if the site needs it$3,600—Optional
Build goal$65,000$0Estimated

Local businesses can help build it too

Community sponsors

The park stays the hero. A logo on a bench is enough. We are not covering the fence in ads.

Fund a park feature

Put a name on a bench, a gate, a shade sail. The park stays the hero.

Donate materials

Fence, gravel, lumber, plants, a fountain. If you sell it, you can give it.

Donate professional time

Legal, survey, design, engineering, build. Hours can move this more than a check.

Lend equipment

A weekend with a mini-ex, a trailer, a water tank.

Sponsor an event

Meet-the-project night. A dog walk. Opening day.

Match a member gift

If the pack puts in, you put in beside them.

Open

Founding partners

Help lock the land and the first build.

Open

Park builders

A feature, a trade, a crew.

Open

Community supporters

Food, print, a Saturday, a smaller gift.

Talk to us about sponsoring

The park starts before the gates open

Community events

The project itself can make community. Meet, walk, clean, argue about the layout, then open the gates.

Planned

Meet the dog park project

Bring the dog. Meet the people organizing this. See the vision. Tell us what the park needs to be.

After we have a site

Design day

Look at layouts. Mark what works. Argue about the small-dog fence like neighbors should.

After a site is in hand

Community cleanup

Trash, brush, a first pass. The park starts before the gates exist.

Planned

Pack dog walk

Walk together, tell the story, raise a piece of the build. Dogs first.

When it is ready

Opening day

Ribbon. A few games. Local food. Rescue partners. A thank-you. Then the gates stay open.

Help with an event

A community project needs a community team

Who’s building it

Empty seats stay visible on purpose. The org chart is a recruiting tool.

Watch it happen

Project updates

  1. September 15, 2026

    The dashboard is live

    Vision, plan, estimated build list, open roles, and the land search are on this page. No site yet. No bids yet. The pack can see the work.

A dog park takes a community

Choose how you want to help

Some people can give money. Some can build. Some have expertise. Some know the right people. Some have a few hours. All of that moves the project.

Fund it

Help pay for a specific piece of the park.

Build it

Volunteer time, tools, or a crew.

Bring your expertise

Legal, land, design, engineering, construction, or project management.

Support it

Follow the project, come to an event, tell someone who should be here.

Let’s build this together

Tag @barkingpuppy8. Use #BarkingPuppy #BarkingPuppyGives $BP. Tell us who you are and how you can help.

Bark on XThe Barking Puppy Community