The city of Collegedale is the recipient of a $25,000 Dog Park Dash grant from the Boyd Foundation to expand its existing dog park. Collegedale is one of 30 cities chosen to receive the grant in 2019.
According to the Collegedale Parks and Recreation department, the application process took a few months. It culminated with residents showing their support on social media by uploading posts with #dogparkdash that were then used in the foundation's final considerations.
The grant is a part of a larger three-year, $3 million initiative to make Tennessee one of the most pet-friendly states. Chosen cities can use their allotted funds to either start a new dog park or, like Collegedale, upgrade an existing property.
"We'll make sure that it stays something usable for the community, something that's going to be sustainable," said Traci Bennett-Hobek, Collegedale Parks and Recreation director.
Other area cities are also recipients of the grant, such as Chattanooga in 2018 for the dog park in East Brainerd's Heritage Park. The town of Signal Mountain is among this year's winners.
For more information about the grant, visit dogparkdash.com.
Email Tierra Hayes at tierrahayes@southern.edu.