Huntington, W. Va., became the “top dog” in the national PetSafe “Bark for Your Park” contest today, winning $100,000 for a local dog park.
PetSafe announced today that Huntington, a West Virginia town located along the Ohio River with a population of about 50,000 citizens, received the most votes out of the 15 finalist cities in the “Bark for Your Park” contest. PetSafe, a leading innovator in pet behavior and lifestyle products, launched the contest this year to award one U.S. community with $100,000 to build a dog park.
“Congratulations to the Huntington community,” said Randy Boyd, president and CEO of PetSafe. “You really barked for your park and rallied together to make this achievement possible for your town. PetSafe is thrilled to present you with the $100,000 to make your dog park dreams a reality, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact a dog park makes on Huntington.”
How Huntington Won
Huntington volunteers and organizations, including the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District and the Foundation for the Tri-State Community, have been working on plans for a local dog park for about two years. Hundreds of the city’s dog park supporters pushed Huntington into the semifinalist stage of the “Bark for Your Park” contest. Then, Huntington submitted a video to showcase the community’s need and enthusiasm for a dog park and was named one of the 15 finalist cities.
During the three weeks of public voting, Huntington citizens, government officials, businesses, local media, and of course, pet owners worked tirelessly to “bark” for their park. They hosted community events, handed out fliers, wrote letters to the editor of the newspaper and much more. In the end, Huntington received 87,854 votes – the most for any of the finalist cities out of over 329,000 votes cast in the final stage of the “Bark for Your Park” contest. Huntington plans to break ground this fall on the park, which will be constructed in the city’s Lions Den area of Ritter Park.
“We could not be more proud or more thrilled,” said Kevin Brady, director of the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District. “This is an incredible victory for Huntington not only because we won $100,000 but because of how we rallied together as a community. We’re so grateful to PetSafe for providing us with this opportunity and the funding we needed. A dog park will serve as a place for community members to gather and meet their neighbors, a place for pets to exercise and socialize and a place that Huntington will be proud of for years to come.”
Plans for the Future
Huntington hosted a “Tail Waggin’” Party on the Patio the evening of Aug. 5 for the community to find out the winner of the contest, and PetSafe officials plan to visit Huntington this fall for a local celebration at the site of the future dog park.
“We couldn’t be happier helping to provide a park where dogs and owners can enjoy time together,” said Boyd. “Thank you to all the city supporters in the contest for your participation and enthusiasm. We hope you’ll continue to work for pet-friendly initiatives in your communities and ‘bark’ for your local dog park. Plus, we’re giving you another opportunity to win.”
Thrilled with the positive impact “Bark for Your Park” had both on the local level for participating communities and the pet community as a whole, PetSafe is excited to bark about the contest returning next year. Based on participant feedback, PetSafe is working on plans for “Bark for Your Park 2012” to provide even easier participation in the contest and – best of all – more prizes and winners. The company plans to announce more details about the contest at a later date.
For more information about the PetSafe “Bark for Your Park” contest, visit www.barkforyourpark.com. For more information about PetSafe and its innovative pet products, visit www.petsafe.net or check out the PetSafe Facebook page.
About PetSafe
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, PetSafe is the industry leader in the management of pet behavior, offering pet training, containment, safety and lifestyle product solutions. PetSafe introduced the first do-it-yourself electronic fence to the pet market in 1991 and the first wireless fence in 1998. PetSafe's product line-up includes: kennels and electronic underground fences, bark control systems, a selection of remote training products, pet doors, pet feeders and a growing line of lifestyle products including toys and treats.