As soon as the snow is gone this spring, members of the Mad River Valley Dog Park and community volunteers are ready to get to work on the park in Warren.
Members of the dog park committee are finalizing the plans they will take to the Warren Select Board in the coming week, detailing the various elements of the park which will be located near Brooks Field on about an acre of land.
Organizers raised just short of $50,000 (with the help of a Better Places grant and community fundraising) which is about what will be needed to build the park.
The select board has already seen the site plan that outlines basic elements of the park such as fencing, waste stations, a big and small dog section, etc. Committee members will be presenting final details on those and other features.
Committee member and spokesperson Eve Silverman said that the small dog area will be fenced off from the large dog area and is sponsored by Small Dog Electronics (the Small Dog small dog area or Small Dog2!)
Silverman said that the small dog area won’t be based so much on size of the dog but rather creating a place where older or injured or small or young dogs can be without worrying about rambunctious dogs in the big dog area.
“It’s about ensuring dogs don’t feel bullied or overwhelmed,” she said.
“We will have rules,” she said.
Silverman met with Roxbury dog trainer Janine Maninen and community volunteer Charlie Hosford this week to talk about creating an agility area as a permanent installation sponsored by Mehuron’s.
Another feature is a play feature that Yestermorrow’s Design/Build for Public Spaces class will be creating. That feature will also be a memorial with plaques in memory of deceased pets. A berm and tunnel feature, sponsored by Pawsitive Pantry will feature culverts and berms for dogs to crawl through and climb on.
Hosford has been working on plans for a pavilion for shade and protection from the weather as well as benches that will be placed in shady areas.
“Timing is largely dependent on as soon as we get our approvals from the town to proceed. Our plan is when snow melts, start putting up structures and fencing and we’d hope for late 2023 opening but will be conditional on a lot of factors,” Silverman said.
The work will be highly dependent on volunteer labor and organizers are actively putting together a list of people who want to help. People who can volunteer are asked to email
