SULTAN — A new off-leash dog park has opened here.
Volunteers helped the city kick off the project by gathering donations and putting fencing around an area just north of the Sultan Food Bank at Osprey Park.
Now, dogs can run around the grassy area during daylight hours.
Volunteer Bernie Swaim said he saw the need for a dog park in Sultan. He often noticed people were letting their dogs run wild while he was filling containers with dog-waste bags as a volunteer for the city parks department.
In August, Swaim, 59, took on a new role, drumming up support for the dog park. Swaim encouraged people to volunteer and donate supplies.
“Dog parks build community,” he said. “People get out and talk to each other while the dogs play.”
Leo Moreno, a Sultan business owner, donated building materials. He encouraged workers at his construction company to lend their expertise by volunteering to work on the project.
“If you can’t help, you’re part of the problem,” said Moreno, who plans to take his chocolate Labrador, named Mocha, to the park.
Moreno, 47, sees the dog park as the first of many new recreational opportunities in Sultan. He hopes to offer dog training and agility classes at the park.
Moreno has other ideas too. He wants to provide tubes for people to float the river and build a skatepark and a frisbee golf course.
“The town needs a new face,” Moreno said. “The dog park is a great start.”
The city is now working to extend the fenced park west so the dogs have more room to play. It plans to have that done by spring.
The city is seeking donations of chain-link fencing, fence posts and concrete and more volunteers.
Eventually, the hope is to expand the dog park to 20 acres, said Sultan Project Manager Victoria Forte. The city does not have a timeline for when that work will be completed.
For specific information on materials needed or to volunteer, contact Donna Murphy at 360-793-1811 or donna.murphy@ci.sultan.wa.us.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports
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