FLORIDA –– Beginning May 1, anyone in Florida interested in building a new dog park or providing a makeover to an existing dog park in their community can apply for a grant through PetSafe’s Bark for Your Park grant contest.
This year, PetSafe will award prizes totaling $125,000 to nine communities nationwide, the company said. Four communities will receive $25,000 each for a new dog park, and five communities will receive $5,000 each for improving an existing dog park.
Since introducing the program in 2011, PetSafe has awarded more than $1.65 million to support more than 80 off-leash dog parks in the United States, PetSafe said.
Award winners include Pensacola, a 2018 award recipient for a dog park at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart.
To enter your community:
- Confirm that your community has land available for a dog park.
- Contact a local civic leader and request an official letter of support for the dog park project.
- Make a list of ways your community will benefit from a dog park.
- Design a layout for your ideal dog park.
- Gather examples to show why the next big dog park should be in your community, such as fundraising events, support from local businesses, and more.
The Bark for Your Park submission period is open from May 1 to June 30, 2022.
A panel of judges and PetSafe will review entries and announce 30 finalists to compete in the public contest voting period.
Finalists will be chosen on the level of enthusiasm and support for a dog park project within the community and the impact that a dog park project will have on the community.
Following the contest voting period, the four communities with the most votes pursuing a new park will receive $25,000 each. The five communities with the most votes pursuing improvements to an existing local park will be awarded $5,000 each.
The full grant contest timeline is as follows:
- Submission Period: May 1 – June 30, 2022
- Finalists Announced: August 1, 2022
- Voting Period: August 1-31, 2022
- Contest Winners Announced: September 2, 2022
Bark for Your Park™ grant winners span 40 U.S. states with thousands of stories to tell. PetSafe recently visited 2018 winner, Pensacola, Florida, to highlight the dog park at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart.
To kick off the 2022 grant contest, PetSafe encourages cities across the country to celebrate National Dog Park Day on May 7.
For more information on the program and how to enter your submission, visit barkforyourpark.com.
