Communities across the country will soon have the chance to build or enhance a local dog park, as PetSafe® brand prepares to launch its popular Bark for Your Park™ grant contest. Celebrating 10 years in 2021, PetSafe® will award prizes totaling $150,000 to 10 deserving communities.

Since introducing the program in 2011, PetSafe® has donated more than $1.5 million to support more than 70 off-leash dog parks in the United States. Beginning May 1, anyone interested in building a new dog park or providing a makeover to an existing park in their area should submit entries at barkforyourpark.com. To enter your community:

• Contact a local civic leader and request an official letter of support for the dog park project.
• Make a list of ways your community will benefit from a dog park.
• Confirm that your community has land available for a dog park.
• Design a layout for your ideal dog park.
• Gather examples to show why the next big dog park should be in your community; like fundraising events, support from local businesses and more.

“The PetSafe® brand is committed to creating safe, off-leash areas for pets and pet parents to enjoy for years to come,” says Celeste Vlok, marketing manager for PetSafe® brand. “For our 10th anniversary, we’ve added a voting element to the grant contest so more people can join in the fun. We encourage anyone who would like to have a new dog park in their area, or would like to upgrade an existing dog park, to enter.”

The Bark for Your Park™ submission period will be open from May 1 to June 30, 2021. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges and PetSafe® will announce 30 finalists to compete in the contest voting period. From there, five communities will receive $25,000 for the construction of a new park and five communities will be awarded $5,000 to enhance their local dog parks. The full grant contest timeline is as follows:

• Submission Period: May 1 – June 30, 2021
• Finalists Announced: August 3, 2021
• Voting Period: August 3-31, 2021
• Contest Winners Announced: September 2, 2021

To kick off the 2021 Bark for Your Park™ grant contest, PetSafe® encourages cities across the country to safely celebrate National Dog Park Day on May 1. For more information on the program and how to enter your submission, visit barkforyourpark.com.