After nearly three years of planning and advocating, building a local dog park is now becoming a reality for the community of Emeryville, which was just awarded $25,000 through the PetSafe® Brand Bark for Your Park™ program. Emeryville is one of 25 cities nationwide that was selected to receive funding to build an off-leash dog park through this year’s Bark for Your Park grant-giving program.

With a workforce once made up of primarily industrial and manufacturing jobs, the City of Emeryville is now home to a large biotech and software sector, dotted with retail and high-density housing developments. The idea for a dog park came from members of the community who lack adequate space—in the heavily urbanized East Bay area—to walk and run their canine friends. The project was proposed to the City Council and approved in 2014, but, unfortunately, the need to complete other projects and budget shortfalls have left the dog park unfunded.

The new PetSafe dog park will be located at the 4000 block of Beach Street, near Halleck Street, under the 40th Street overpass. The site intersects a high pedestrian traffic area and a major bicycle corridor that links the cities of Emeryville and Oakland.

For more information about the award, please visit www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark.