3 years ago, the thought of having a dog park was just a dream for the residents of Enfield, N.H. In 2014, this dream became a reality when the town won $25,000 through PetSafe® Brand’s Bark for Your Park™ program.

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was the PetSafe prize that made it possible to go from an idea to an actual dog park in less than 2 years,” said Marcia Herrin, president of the board of the Mascoma Valley Dog Park Supporters, which founded and manages the park.

PetSafe Brand developed and launched the nationwide Bark for Your Park program in 2011 to help communities build their own off-leash dog park. In order to help even more communities make their dog park dreams come true this year, PetSafe Brand is restructuring the contest into a grant-giving program and increasing the number of awards from five to 25.

“In the past 5 years, we’ve given away over $850,000 to communities to build dog parks of their own, but now we want to help communities during every stage of development,” said Tracy Mulder, marketing manager, PetSafe brand. “Our new Bark for Your Park program is expanding to not only help break ground on new parks but also help fund maintenance and improvements for existing parks.”

Communities can submit a grant application from May 1 through June 30, 2016, at www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark. The applications will be reviewed by an internal committee and PetSafe brand will select five new park winners to receive awards valuing $25,000 each, 10 park makeover winners to receive awards valuing $10,000 each, and 10 park maintenance winners to receive awards valuing $5,000 each. This year’s award recipients will receive a combination of funds as well as commercial-grade dog park equipment from UltraSite, a PlayCore Company. UltraSite provides attractive agility obstacles made specifically for dog parks that bring pets and their families together to exercise, socialize and enjoy nature. The winning communities will be announced over a 5-week period from August through September.

Aside from the financial support, PetSafe Brand’s Bark for Your Park program has been credited with bringing together entire communities and fostering a bond that lasts long beyond the construction of the dog park.

“Besides the monetary award, the participation brought a group together that remains today the backbone of the Waverly Bark Park Volunteer group,” said Tab Ray, director of Waverly Leisure Services in Waverly, Iowa, which took home the grand prize in the 2014 Bark for Your Park contest. “As the park was being constructed, the group that worked to win the grant has now assisted in setting rules and policies, helped with some great programs at the park, and has plans for improvements and future programs.”

In addition to applying for a grant, individuals who visit the website and share why a dog park is important for their community will be entered to win a featured PetSafe product. For more information about the PetSafe Bark for Your Park program or to submit a grant application, visit www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark or check out the online video to learn what’s new for this year’s program.

About the PetSafe® Brand

PetSafe® Brand is an industry leader in the development of innovative pet behavioral, containment and lifestyle product solutions. PetSafe® Brand is owned by Radio Systems® Corporation and headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.petsafe.net or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.