Your Help Needed to Create a Culture of Responsibility

Dog parks are meant to be self-governing. We all need to do our part to create a culture of responsibility at our dog parks. This sometimes involves having to speak up and tell another dog owner that their Fido needs a time out, or needs to be removed from the park altogether, or to tell the owner they missed picking up Fido's poop. Some of us are comfortable with these kinds of communications. But others may be shy or not sure how to handle such situations.

We invite you to share your good ideas on how to handle these situations.

1. What are some polite ways to tell someone they missed picking up their dog's poop?
2. What's a good way to tell someone you are concerned that their dog is being overly agressive and should be removed from the dog park?
3. If you see something that appears to be a potentially unsafe situation, such as a young child wandering in the dog park without adult supervision at arms-length, what would you say or do?

You can also discuss any other scenario that you can imagine or have experienced and how to handle it well. The above three are just a few examples of possible situations.

Let's start the conversation. Dog park's work well when each user feels ownership and is prepared to be a leader in keeping the cleanliness, safety and peace of our dog park. Please chime in with your constructive comments which will help others have the tools to handle any situation.

Thanks for the success of our outdoor festival

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our two event sponsors, SouthernLINC Wireless and At Home Pet Care. Their sponsorship helped to underwrite the cost of our event so that we could raise more money to support BFAP's mission to establish and maintain dog parks in metro Birmingham. If you're looking for wireless service or pet care services, we encourage you to check them out, and be sure to thank them for their support of the Bark for a Park festival.

We also thank our many vendors, who brought their wonderful food, products and services to the event. We invite you to let those businesses know that you appreciate their support of Bark for a Park.

A great big group hug goes to the city of Homewood, who not only gave us the green light to use Patriot Park for our event, but who offered amazing support to the event's success in countless ways. Give a shout out to Homewood mayor Scott McBrayer by telling him how much you enjoyed the event and appreciate Homewood's support of Bark for a Park at 205-332-6103 or email Homewood mayor. (While you're at it, why don't you also tell him how much you want a dog park in Homewood?)

A special thanks to all the Bark for a Park volunteers. As a small, grassroots all-volunteer organization, Bark would not exist were it not for the admirable dedication and hard work of its volunteers. We're especially grateful to our Bark board, Claudine Arredondo-Graf (president), Jason Hebert (treasurer) and Erik Henninger (secretary/membership), who despite being super busy folks to start with, somehow made an enormous amount of time and effort available to work on this event. (And we thank their families, too, who have been patient and understanding above and beyond!) We also thank Margaret and staff at Creative Dog Training who trained our volunteers to help out in the demonstration dog park. We'd also like to thank our pro bono bands - George & the G-Men and Earthbound; you guys rock! Our unending gratitude goes to countless other volunteers who did everything from solicit donors/sponsors, packed member gift bags, set up the demonstration dog park fencing, wrote media releases, sold drinks and t-shirts at the event, and the million other details that made it all come together in such a glorious day.

A Wayne Campbell on-our-knees "We're not worthy!" to our generous donors and members. While there are many ways to support BFAP and we appreciate and need them all to operate, sometimes cold hard cash is needed. So thanks to everyone who opened up their wallets in these tough economic times to buy a t-shirt or a cold Pepsi at the event, became a "Founding Member" by purchasing a BFAP membership, or otherwise forked over the Benjamins. We hope to send out an email in the next few weeks updating you on the final take once we finish the tally. Not a donor or member yet? Get on board!

We appreciate the good souls who brought donations to our three featured grassroots rescues. Rescues across the country are feeling the economic pinch in addition to seeing record numbers of pets abandoned/relinquished due to the economy. We thank you for bringing donations of food, toys, bedding, pet medication, etc. to help support Cross My Heart Rescue , Two by Two Animal Rescue , and Have a Heart Animal Rescue & Adoption. Check their websites if you have room in your life to foster or give a forever home to a dog that needs your loving kindness.

Time and again we are taken aback by the generosity and willingness of businesses to support our mission. Thanks to the many companies that donated goods and services for our raffles and our member gift bags. We especially thank Mrs. Hebert who donated our member raffle grand prize of a 4-day/3-night stay in her Destin condo. (If you won a raffle prize we encourage you let them know you appreciate their support of Bark for a Park!)

Last but not least, we thank everyone who attended the event. We are truly, deeply appreciative that you came. And for those who brought their dogs to enjoy the demonstration dog park, we thank you for being responsible citizens and picking up after your pet and watching over their play. We are very pleased to report that every dog was on their best behavior!

If we've forgotten to thank anyone, it's simply because we're a little wiped out from the event. We welcome your comments and suggestions. We look forward to your support year 'round. Let us know if you want to get involved: email Bark for a Park. We can't wait until our first "real" dog parks open up. How about you? :)

Did you attend the festival in Patriot Park on October 3rd? Post a comment below and tell us about it!

It's Really Happening!

Here's what happened. Late in the morning on Wednesday, October 7th, Bark for a Park's President, Claudine Arredondo-Graf, got a phone call. It was Mayor Langford. (Impressive, right?) His message to her was, in essence, that he'd only recently found out of our longtime efforts to open a dog park in Birmingham, and that he was going to cut all the red tape and simply make it happen. Like, right away.

Mayor Langford called for a press conference at George Ward Park in Birmingham for Thursday, October 8th at 10:30am. It was a gorgeous day. City workers must have arrived very early to set up a stage, podium, sound system, chairs, ice chests filled with bottled water, etc. Bark supporters, some with their dogs, started to gather just after 10am. Tons of news media were there. Everyone mixed and mingled.

The mayor arrived. Claudine took the stage and exuberantly announced him. He spoke for some time, mentioning his gratitude for our advocacy of a dog park, his love of George Ward park and what a great addition a dog park will be, his regret that his own dog couldn't be with him today since he was at the vet (hot spots!). At one point he invited Margaret from Creative Dog Training and her puppy to take the stage with him, and the mayor scooped the puppy into his arms (in the mayor's defense, the pup was irresistably adorable and extremely well-mannered). He invited all the city workers to join him on stage to thank them for leaping into action. Seems they had already begun work on erecting the dog park fencing! Next he invited Conor from Creative Dog Training to take the mic and teach everyone the dog park rules. And perhaps the biggest surprise of all, he told us that the dog park should be ready to open BY TUESDAY!

After the press conference concluded, there was more hanging out. The mayor tried to give some water to one of Claudine's dogs Maybelle (who snubbed the mayor!) The mayor and the Bark for a Park board all lined up for photo ops and interviews. Claudine and Mayor Langford posed and looked happy.

Our sincere thanks to Mayor Langford, his staff, the Parks & Rec staff, the media, and last but not least, Bark for a Park volunteers and donors. It's happening!

Please check the Bark for a Park website to find out how to donate, volunteer, become a member, buy a t-shirt, or support our upcoming events. Now the serious fundraising begins so that we can repay the city of Birmingham for the fencing and purchase all the amenities needed for George Ward Park (and the Hoover dog park close behind!)

Were you at the press conference today? Post a comment sharing your memories, observations and experience of the event.

Bark Festival A Great Success

We couldn't have asked for better weather or better support. Y'all loved our temporary dog park, we made some new friends, found several new members and raised a good bit of money to go towards greater Birmingham dog parks. Thank you so much! Especially you, Eric.

If you've got some great pictures, email them to us at barkforapark@yahoo.com. We'll have some pictures up soon, and of course, all the financial stuff. Thanks again.

Check here for more info on the event and click our sponsors!

Sometimes, I Think We're All Going to be OK

I often get in a "people suck" mood after seeing so many homeless, abused or abandoned animals here in the South.

However, this morning on the way to work, I was taking a short cut through Homewood and pulled up to the stop sign by Becker's Animal Clinic and saw a beautiful fuzzy creamy medium sized dog running free back and forth across the road. Like you all, as soon a I saw the dog and no human I was already formulating a plan of where to park the car, where was my spare leash (Oh, please don't get hit). As I started to pull forward I noticed two vet techs walking calming to try and get the dog. Meanwhile, every car on ever corner going in every direction stopped and people were getting out to try and get her. It was a few minutes after 8 so everyone in every car in every direction was surely as late for work as I was, but they all didn't seem to mind. One of the people had a truck with a Golden riding in the back and all he did was open his door and the dog jumped right in. Everyone clapped and smiled, gave him a thumbs up as they got back in and got back on their way.

It made me so happy to know that so many people cared enough to stop even if they had some where they had to be.

Like the geese I saw crossing the 280 with their babies. My heart stopped. I thought there was no way they would make it through 6 lanes of cut throat traffic. (I even drive like a beast on the 280). I couldn't even bare to watch. To my amazement, three lanes of traffic came to a dead stop as they crossed each stretch of the road.

Maybe people aren't so bad after all. Sometimes, I think we're all going to be OK.


Claudine Arredondo-Graf
Bark for a Park President

Hoover to Get Central Alabama's First Dog Park!

click above to read more

Needless to say, we're thrilled. We applaud the city of Hoover, the Park and Recreation board and our Hoover Team for taking action on behalf of all Hoover residents and they're four legged friends. More to come on this exiting development.

Bark for a Park in the News!

Things are heating up quickly. With teams in Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover/Pelham and Gardendale all working hard to open a dog park in their community, we can't help feeling excited and hopeful that the first one is just around the corner and that others will soon follow.

Our thanks to the Birmingham News for their coverage of Bark volunteer Carmine Ruocco's dog park proposal at the Gardendale City Council on Wednesday, August 12, 2009. Read the article...

To the right of the online article, there are tools for you to email, print, or share the story via social media tools (Facebook, Google, Digg, etc.). Help spread the good word.

Keep the fingers (and paws) crossed in your household!

"Dog Heaven"

This video, strangely enough hosted by "Radar" of MASH fame, shows us just how far behind the times we are here in Birmingham.

It's a somewhat dated, but none-the-less awesome, video featuring the Marymoor off-leash Dog Park in Washington state, and it's a perfect example of why we're working so hard to get a little slice of "heaven" right here in central Alabama...


Did I mention, one dude met his wife at the Dog Park? Endless benefits.

State of the Bark Union

Bark For A Park has come a long way in five years. The show of support from the public has been incredible, and yet we are still working with the City of Birmingham to bring you Birmingham's first dog park. During this time others have joined us or expressed interest in building dog parks for their communities. We have heard positive news and public interest for parks in Homewood, Crestwood/Avondale, Highlands, Hoover, Gardendale, Glen Iris, Central City (downtown), Ruffner Mountain Park, Red Mountain Park and so on. That could potentially be nine dog parks in our metro. I know, most of you are saying "how could we have nine dog parks when we have not even got the first one?"

Just look at Houston, Texas http://www.hdpa.org/
They started trying to get their first dog park about ten years ago. It took them five years to convince the City to build their first dog park in a flood zone outside the main loop (equivalent to us getting one in Fultondale). Five years for the first one! Three years after that, they had a total of 6 dog parks. Two years after that (present day) they have 15 dog parks. We have the approval from Birmingham Parks and Rec to move forward with the first dog park located at George Ward Park off of Greensprings Highway in the Glen Iris neighborhood. We have not faded away. Birmingham will get it's first dog park, and I'm confident that the public response will be overwhelming. Once we set that precedent, it will pave the way for many more dog parks in the metro area.

Get informed.

Get involved.

Show your support.

Make a donation.

Get a dog park!

www.barkforapark.org

Come Have a Drink for a Good Cause this Thursday

Join us at The Wine Loft this Thursday, from 5-8pm

Dogs are welcome on the patio.

*10% of sales will go toward the fence fund.

Memberships, raffle, Bark swag, and information on the Bark 40 will be available as well.

See you there!

PS - Help us out and RSVP through Facebook (if you into that kind of thing)

Update: Pubs N Pups Breaking News! We are excited to learn that we will have the band Mile Marker 7 playing live at our Pubs N Pups event at the Wine Loft. Wine Loft owner Mike Donnevant has started hosting live music on Thursday evenings and has generously offered this entertainment as part of our event. (Listen to some of their music) You don’t want to miss this band, all the sweet raffle items, and the great drinks. Remember, 10% of all sales are directly donated to Bark For A Park’s Fencing Fund, so come out and support Birmingham ’s premier dog park.

Welcome to The Bark Blog

Look here in the future for quick and easy updates on all things Bark for a Park. The blog is currently pretty "bare bones," but soon it will be thriving with progress reports, volunteer opportunities, featured sponsors and other dog friendly content.

Thanks for stopping by, and check back soon!

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