Cat Crozier and Farley in Crozier’s Pemaquid home Monday, Jan. 18. Crozier is seeking volunteers to assist in an effort to create a dog park in Bristol. (Maia Zewert photo)
A Pemaquid woman is looking for committee members to help make a Bristol dog park a reality.
Cat Crozier is in the process of creating a presentation about her proposal for the town to create a dog park and is looking for volunteers to help fulfill her mission.
“Anyone who wants to see this happen is more than welcome to help, because I need it,” Crozier said. “I’ve done a lot of work already; it’s just more brains are better than one!”
Crozier said she has wanted to have a town dog park since she moved to Pemaquid 3 1/2 years ago and adopted a Lab named Farley. Crozier said it amazed her to learn there were no parks in Bristol designated for dogs.
“It seems like everywhere we take our dogs, they have to be kept on a leash,” Crozier said. “Everyone who has a dog recognizes how important it is for them to have that time to run free and socialize with other dogs.”
During the winter, Crozier said she has been able to take Farley to Pemaquid Beach Park for “off-leash” time with other dogs. Crozier said this time is valuable to Farley’s development and has taught him how to socialize with other dogs.
“Getting to watch him play with other dogs, it was like watching magic happen,” Crozier said.
Crozier began circulating a petition to request the establishment of a dog park in late 2014, Crozier said. It took Crozier “about a year” to collect the required signatures.
“All of the dog owners I talked to about it immediately understood and signed the petition,” Crozier said. “Some people told me there were already dog-friendly parks, but the dogs have to be on the leash the entire time. It’s not the same.”
The Bristol Board of Selectmen received the petition and voted unanimously to approve the request for the annual town meeting at the board’s Dec. 9, 2015 meeting.
Since December, Crozier has been researching the potential cost of the park, including trash cans, bags to clean up after the dogs, and a water station, to present at the annual town meeting Tuesday, March 22. Crozier said the most expensive cost would be fencing around the perimeter.
Crozier hopes to raise the money through grants, sponsors, and donations so the town would not have to designate any funds to the creation of the dog park. Crozier said she is not sure where the park would be located, however, she hopes the park is at least 1 acre to allow adequate room for the dogs to run and play together.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Crozier at 677-2920 or catdiver14@yahoo.com.
