D.O.G. Continues Push for Park

Rummage sale this weekend to help raise $55,000 needed to build
facility
By Tony Burchyns Staff Writer

Morgan Hill – For anyone who’s looked into a puppy’s eyes, it would be hard to point your finger and say “No!” to the idea of an off-leash dog park. Then again, it’s also nearly impossible to find $55,000 in the city budget to build one. 

Faced with this conundrum, the leaders of the Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group have spent the last three years working to gain city support for the project and raise money from dog-loving citizens in the community to make their dog-park dream a reality.

Their fundraising efforts continue from 9am to 5pm today and Sunday with the “Bark Market” rummage sale at the Granary on Depot Street. Other fundraisers including May’s Second Annual Dog Wash – a dog-grooming event at the Pet Station in Morgan Hill that garnered $2,300 – have helped the dog-park proponents raise $17,000 in the last year. 

But they have a long way to go. D.O.G. Chairwoman Gloria Zufall said the group needs at least $55,000 in seed money to launch the project which would include erecting a chain-link fence, installing a bulletin board and providing dispensers for plastic “poop” bags. Local architect Charles Weston has donated his services for the project, as well as space at the Granary for this weekend’s rummage sale.

So far, the city has allocated an acre-and-a-half of land at Community Park, but zero dollars. While dog lovers appreciate the generous gift of space at, some still say money talks – or in this case, “barks.”

“We’d like to keep pressuring the city for money,” said Zufall. “We’ve asked to be in the city budget several times, gone to council meetings … we’ll keep working on it.”

The reasons for the dog park are obvious to D.O.G. members. They argue dog parks are essential for owners to socialize and exercise their dogs. 

Silicon Valley Humane Society Vice President Beth Ward said she sees a relationship between the availability of off-leash dog parks in communities and the number of dogs surrendered to shelters because they are unwanted. Many of those dogs, she said, are then euthanized for lack of adoption.

“The unfortunate reality is shelters are overrun with pets being surrendered by owners,” Ward said. “What we find if a bond is created between the owner and the dog by things like taking them to dog parks … then the pet usually gets to stay in their home with their family.” 

Zufall points to more than 20 off-leash dog parks in the Bay Area. She wonders why Morgan Hill hasn’t one of its own. As it stands now, there is no park in South County forcing dog owners to travel 15 miles to Hellyer Park in San Jose to let their dogs off the leash in public. Meanwhile, leash laws at home threaten first-time offenders with fines up to $100.

Zufall is happy with the $17,000 the group has raised, but is concerned that the effort is taking so long. Originally, D.O.G. hoped to have the park up and running this summer. She no longer thinks that goal is realistic. 

“If everyone in Morgan Hill who cares about dogs would send us $20,” she said, “we could get the job done. It will be longer if they don’t help us.”