Happy Tails Dog Park Hoping to win $100,000 'Bark for Your Park' Contest

LACONIA — The dogs in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire have long dreamed of wide open spaces and a place to call their own. Happy Tails Dog Park of the Lakes Region has been working hard for several years to try to make that dream a reality and has nominated Laconia in the Petsafe "Bark for Your Park" contest to further that effort.

PetSafe, a leading innovator in pet behavior and lifestyle solutions, invited all U.S. communities to participate in the third annual "Bark for Your Park" contest on May 7. One city will be awarded $100,000 to build a local dog park and four other pet passionate finalists will also receive $25,000. Almost 1,000 U.S. communities have been nominated in the contest.

"After searching the Lakes Region for land for a dog park, the City of Laconia offered that there was a plot of city-owned land that would be suitable," explained Ginny Martin, president of Happy Tails Dog Park of the Lakes Region. "We presented a preliminary concept plan to the Laconia City Council in July 2013 and were encouraged to move forward contingent on a fully engineered site plan and financial plan being presented, since our group is planning to manage the park. We have been actively raising money so we can take the next steps. If we could win any amount of money in the Petsafe contest, we could move forward."

As they determine the 15 Finalists, PetSafe will review the availability of land and civic leaders' support. Civic leaders and other local organizations may upload letters of support on the contest page for Laconia. Citizens are also able to vote every day to help their city move forward in the contest. These votes will also be counted to pick the Finalists. For the best chance to become a finalist, Laconia should excel in all three of these categories.

The 15 Finalists will be announced on June 13, when they will be asked to produce a video and continue barking for their park. The finalist city with the most votes will receive $100,000 to build a PetSafe dog park. Three runner-up and the city with the highest percentage of votes to its population will each receive $25,000. Winners will be announced on August 7.

Anyone in the Lakes Region will be able to use the Laconia park since it will be available to the region and not just Laconia residents. You don't have to be a resident of Laconia in order to vote in the Petsafe contest. Two votes can be cast by each individual each day, once on the Petsafe site www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark and once on the Petsafe Facebook page.

With the closing of the "unofficial" dog park at Woodland Heights Elementary School this month, the need for a dog park in the area is even more urgent. By voting twice a day, and getting your friends and family to vote, a real dog park in the Lakes Region could become a reality.