Represent the WHDPC in the Park Road Parade this Weekend!

We are looking for volunteers to represent the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition (WHDPC) and march (with their dogs if they would like) in the Park Road parade Saturday, October 4. If you are willing to donate your time to promote this great cause, please email and let us know (westhartforddogpark@gmail.com).

The parade begins at 10:30am and we are to be in place by 9:30am. We are in Division 5 - which is lining up along Tobey Street, by the Dunkin Donuts and the Car Wash. Parking is available on side streets north of Boulevard including: Arnoldale Road, Lexington Road, Beverly Road. Roads off South Highland include Fairview Street and Warrenton Ave. The parade is 1/2 mile long. The itinerary refers people to www.westhartford.org/ParkRoadParade for more information. Though the weather is looking great for Saturday, rain cancellation information can be found by calling the West Hartford Police Department after 7:00 a.m. Saturday at 523-5203.

Thanks for your support and we are hoping for a great turnout at this event!!! Don't forget to wear your green WHDPC T-shirts!

Pooch Plunge a HUGE Success!

Thanks to everyone who took part in tonight's first official fundraising event: The Pooch Plunge. The weather was spectacular and we had a wonderful turnout. In all, we had 105 dogs attending and even more humans. And, we SOLD OUT of our green Dog Park Coalition T-shirts! Everyone had a great time and all the dogs were smiling. This was a perfect opportunity to show how important a dog park will be in the lives of our canines. Thanks again to everyone who came out to support tonight's event. You can view photos here--feel free to download your favorites or order copies for yourself! Enjoy the video...

A second video:

Upcoming event: POOCH PLUNGE

Announcing West Hartford Dog Park Coalition's first fundraising event: the POOCH PLUNGE!

photo credit: http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/

Thanks to the support of the West Hartford Human & Leisure Services Department, the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition will be having a fundraising event in a few weeks. The event will be a

Dog Swim

Monday, August 18th

5:00pm - 7:30pm

Kennedy Pool - 106 Oakwood Avenue http://www.westhartford.org/TownServices/TownDepartments/LeisureServices/RecreationFacilities/ParksPools/KennedyPark.htm

Please be on the lookout for a separate blog entry with additional event information. This event will be an opportunity for responsible dog owners to allow their dogs to play and swim in an off-leash environment in support of the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition's efforts to build a dog park in West Hartford. The cost for the event will be $5.00 per dog, however, additional donations will be accepted. Please note that all dogs will be required to have a current town license in order to participate in the event, so make sure your dog is licensed with your town, and mark your calendars for this wonderful event!

**All dogs must have a current town license in order to participate.**
If you have any questions, please contact Mandy Pike at westhartforddogpark@gmail.com

Thanks to "ullilane" from YouTube for the use of this video.

The Rules are as follows:

• Dogs MUST display a valid license and up-to-date rabies vaccinations
• Owners must have control of their dogs at all times and keep them within designated boundaries during the event
• Owners must pick up after their dogs and dispose of waste in the proper receptacles
• Dogs swim at their own risk
• Only dogs allowed in the water
• Dog owners are responsible for any injuries or damage caused by their dogs
• Dogs must be leashed when entering/exiting the fenced in pool area
• Dogs in heat, aggressive dogs and puppies under four (4) months are prohibited
• Dogs must be removed from the pool area at the first sign of aggression towards a person or dog
• No more than three (3) dogs per person
• For the safety of all dogs, no choke, prong, pinch, or spike collars allowed
• No smoking, glass containers or food (people/animal) allowed in the pool area
• An adult must accompany anyone under 15 years of age. Children must be closely supervised.

Summer Dog Adventures in Connecticut

Our local REI in Blue Back Square will be hosting an event Tuesday evening:


Summer Dog Adventures in Connecticut!
6/24/2008
7:00 PM

REI will discuss the best places to take your dog in Connecticut, what equipment can make your trip safer and more fun, and give some helpful tips on trail etiquette, dog first aid and safety. REI will also be distributing information on how best to help our Connecticut Humane Society and discuss potential volunteer opportunities. While they cannot accommodate dogs inside the store, they do hope that you will stop by and discover how to further your adventures this summer!

Registration required. Call REI West Hartford Customer Service 860-233-2211
Location: REI West Hartford
Contact: Customer Service 860-233-2211
Cost: Free

Celebrate West Hartford - SUCCESS!

This past weekend was West Hartford's annual Celebrate West Hartford. If you missed it, you missed a great time! There were some excellent artists selling their crafts, great food at the food court, fun rides for the kids and of course many booths from merchants, non-profits, volunteer organizations, etc.

The West Hartford Dog Park Coalition played a part in the festivities as well. We were able to collect nearly 600 petition signatures, answer tons of questions, and give out a lot of information and freebies donated by several local companies. Our thanks go out to West Hartford Pet Sitters for donating the booth, and to following for their donations: Planet Bark, Petcare Veterinary Services , Three Dog Bakery, Connecticut Humane Society, Lupine, Studio 970 Photography, Our Companions, ML Fencing, and Allstate Agent Andrea Zmenyak.

We also throw out a public thank you to everyone who volunteered! Without those people who have become actively involved in this cause, none of this would be possible. THANK YOU.

Enjoy the photos and video from the weekend...

Dog Park Volunteer Opportunity

As many of you know, next Saturday and Sunday (June 14th and 15th) the Town of West Hartford will hold the annual Celebrate West Hartford event.

Through gracious donations from our Coalition members, the Dog Park Coalition will have a booth at the event which we will use to gather petition signatures, communicate our project information and answer questions about the project. The event is sure to be a great time and our PR committee has already done a wonderful job finalizing the details for our booth.

We now need to finalize who will be available to donate their time to be at the booth for the event. Please send us an email if you are available and interested in volunteering: westhartforddogpark@gmail.com. We are only asking for a 2 hour committment on either Saturday or Sunday--human volunteers only (Fido needs to stay home this time). This is your chance to get involved!

(Photo credit: celebratewesthartford.com)

T-Shirts Available in 2 Locations

Still thinking about getting you own West Hartford Dog Park Coalition T-Shirt but haven't yet? It's not too late! Shirts are now available for only $10 in two different locations: Studio 970 Photography and Planet Bark. Four different sizes are available: Small (14/16), Medium, Large and Extra Large. This is a great way to show your support for the dog park!

Thanks Parade Participants!

Thanks to everyone (and doggies) who came out to support the Dog Park Coalition by walking in the West Hartford Memorial Day Parade. It was a great turnout and everyone seemed to have a good time. The dogs looked great in their green bandanas! We fielded TONS of questions and the crowd seemed very interested and supportive. We handed out hundreds of cards (possibly more than a thousand!) with the website address and as of 8:00 Monday evening, there were 841 hits on the website JUST TODAY! Thanks also to Mandy for the great photos from today.

We also received a new batch of green Dog Park T-shirts in sizes S, M, L & XL. These are available for a $10 purchase at Studio 970 Photography (860-521-9701).

Our next big event is Celebrate West Hartford June 14-15. Stop by our booth to say hello!

The West Hartford Dog Park Coalition wants you to come show your support at the upcoming Memorial Day Parade!

flickr photo credit: c1sbc

Please join us on Monday, May 26th @ 9:45am at the corner of Farmington Avenue and Newport Avenue.

If you have a green Coalition shirt, please wear it. If not, please wear any green shirt (kelly green if possible). We are hoping to have more shirts available for purchase at the parade. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, although certainly not required. If your dog does march, please use a leash no longer than 6 feet, bring your own bag and water.

With the positive feedback we received at the recent Town Council meeting, we really want to keep up the momentum! Invite your family members, friends, and neighbors to join us for an enjoyable morning.

Please RSVP to Caroline at barkeater@sbcglobal.net so we have some sense of how many participants to expect.

"It's a matter of when, not if." - Mayor Scott Slifka

Last night the West Hartford Town Council heard, and saw, our plea for a dog park in West Hartford. The meeting was well attended as our green shirts filled the room (numerous remarks were made by Mayor Slifka about the shirts!). Several of our members spoke as to the importance of the dog park. Other residents attending for other purposes also mentioned their support while addressing the council. Mayor Slifka's remarks: "It's a matter of when, not if." It was a good night for the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition! See the Hartford Courant article for their recap and be sure to fill out the poll while you're there!

Also, check out Rachel Gottlieb's courtant.com blog--she also has a great entry covering last night's town council meeting. I love how she comments on the council referring to the "good karma" in the room last night with our group coming out in full force. :)

25,000 Hits!!!

After having the new website live for only 5 1/2 weeks (since April 2), we are up to 25,000 hits already! Thanks to everyone for your continuing interest and support--we hope this project will become a reality soon.

We need you Tuesday!!!

As discussed at our last Community meeting, our goal was to present our dog park proposal to the appropriate Town Council Committee, but, if we were not able to get on a Committee agenda, we would present our proposal to the Town Council by May 13th.

Next Tuesday, May 13th, the Dog Park is on the agenda for the Town Council meeting which starts at 7:30pm. We encourage all those supporting the project to attend (and wear your dog park shirts). We currently only have a few shirts remaining, but if the demand is sufficient, we can order some more.

We will plan to bring the available shirts to Tuesdays meeting to distribute on a first-come-first serve basis. They are $10 each. The shirts are a bright kelly green color (see the photo below), so if you have a general green top to wear, you could represent your support by wearing that.

Thank you!


Directions to Town Hall are below:

Directions to West Hartford Town Hall
50 South Main Street, West Hartford, Connecticut

From the north and south: Take Interstate 91 to Interstate 84 and follow the directions below.

From the east and west: Take Interstate 84 to exit 43 (Park Road / West Hartford Center)

Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto Park Road.

At second light, turn right onto South Main Street. Proceed through traffic light at the Boulevard.

Turn right into the parking lot entrance off South Main Street.

Take a ticket at the gate and park anywhere in the parking lot or garage. There is 30-minute reserved parking for town hall business closest to the building. Bring your ticket with you so it can be validated at the Town Hall or Police Department office in which you do business.

The rain held off...

There were about two sprinkles in the sky as the second West Hartford Dog Park dog walk began. We met this week at Elizabeth Park and strolled throughout the footpaths, first up by the tennis courts and then around near the rose garden. Though it was a bit chilly, it seemed as though everyone and their dogs had good fun and good conversation. We hope to see you at future walks! (Photo credit: Kevin Asp)

First Dog Walk Was a Success!

Thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday to join us in our first West Hartford Dog Park Coalition Dog Walk! Everyone had a great time, and we look forward to seeing even more of you this coming Saturday for the next walk. This time we'll meet at the Pond House at Elizabeth Park at 1:00pm to stroll through the park. The tulip garden is in full bloom, so it will be a perfect time to visit.

Enjoy the photos below, thanks to Libby, of the walk last Sunday.

First WHDP Dog Walk Scheduled!

If you're looking for a little something to do this Sunday, please join us for our first official West Hartford Dog Park dog walk! We'll meet Sunday, April 27, at 1:00pm at 7 Arapahoe, which is located near the West Hartford Center Post Office (the side street just off LaSalle/the the parking lot across the street from the post office). We'll stroll through the Center and Blue Back Square. The weather forecast looks like it will be a beautiful day so please bring your canine friends!

Remember to bring water for your pup as well as poo-bags to clean up. If you have any questions ahead of time, email us: WestHartfordDogPark@gmail.com

Future walk dates include:
Sat, May 3, 1pm – Elizabeth Park (meet at the Pond/restaurant)
Tue, May 20, 6pm – Elizabeth Park (meet at the Pond/restaurant)

Online Petition

We have set up an online petition in order to continue to collect signatures from those who support the dog park project. If you have not already signed a petition for this project, please select the link to the right!

Unleash Your Inner Dog

The first set of shirts arrived this week. Watch for the committee members wearing their shirts around town. Additional tees will be on their way soon--email westhartforddogpark@gmail.com if you're interested in grabbing one for yourself or a friend. This is a great way to show your support, and they make fun gifts as well! We will also have shirts available for Celebrate West Hartford coming up June 14-15. Stop by the booth to say hi!


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It's Monday...

Mondays are always the hardest days to start the week, aren't they? I was emailed these photos today and thought they'd give you a smile... Enjoy! (Sorry--no photo credit was included in the email.)

We're All New!

With the start of April (and hopefully the warmer weather) we've launched our new website as well as our new blog! Please take some time to look through the site, see what some of the other dog parks in Connecticut look like, and let your four-legged canine friend(s) come to play in our dog'E'park.

We're excited to have such a great support from the community and know with that support we'll soon have a new dog park underway.