Long-Awaited Dog Park Could Open This Year In Stratford

STRATFORD, CT — Stratford’s long-awaited dog park could finally open this year at the former Ranger Station site within Roosevelt Forest, according to the Connecticut Post. Organizers say that after 12 years of trying to bring the public dog park to Stratford, they have reached the “final stage,” according to a recent update on the Stratford Dog Park website.

“To move forward with the parks physical construction the Town of Stratford has proposed that our organization sign a Non-exclusive License Agreement for use of Town property, which requires compliance with its terms for the length of the agreement and any subsequent renewals,” organizers wrote in the post. “In order to sign this document and become the legal entity responsible for the dog park, the Stratford Dog Park Action Committee must transition from a simple association of residents into an actual business, an LLC or an Inc. The new entity must then apply for its 501(c)3 non-profit status. This new entity must also purchase a General Liability Insurance Policy on an annual basis to comply with the terms of the License Agreement.

“All of the initial and ongoing costs associated with this endeavor must be paid for through fundraising efforts. This will be in addition to the fundraising that also must be done for annual maintenance and operational costs of the park (fence repairs, waste bags etc.).

“If we cannot do this, there will be no dog park in Stratford.”

The Post reports the group is hoping to have the necessary paperwork completed within the next few weeks and construction can begin after the Town Council approves the license agreement. The park will be named ‘Jared’s Dog Park,’ after Jared Levine, a former Stratford EMT and dog-lover who died in 2016.

The Stratford Dog Park Action Committee is accepting donations at its website here and anyone wishing to volunteer can email the group at jaredsdogpark@gmail.com.

Read more at the Connecticut Post here.