Vint Hill dog park plans in works

Piedmont Dogs has been working diligently to build a dog park for western Prince William County and the Piedmont regions -- and they need help.

The group, in conjunction with the Vint Hill Economic Development Authority, plans to build an off-leash dog park at Vint Hill, centrally located to serve the Warrenton/Haymarket/Gainesville/Bristow community.

To bring the plan to fruition, the group must raise approximately $10,000. Piedmont Dogs currently has over $6,500 in hand. In addition, since the end of August, they have had a commitment from a donation to match $2,500 dollar-for-dollar. The combined money raised from the matching program and on-hand funds bring the total to $7,750.

Funds will support park fencing, insurance and signage.

According to Joel Haspel, co-founder of Piedmont Dogs, the park requires 1,000 linear feet of fencing with gates. "It's not an inexpensive proposition," he said.

Fundraising has been primarily via word of mouth and through flyers strategically placed at area vets, boarding facilities and other dog-related locations. The group has also participated in the Fauquier County Dog Swim event and Haymarket Day, where group members handed out flyers.

Said Haspel, "We have considered holding a larger fundraising event, but given our success with this community outreach, and the logistical difficulty of such events, we have not yet moved forward on that. Once the park is open, we hope to solicit donations from visitors at the gate. Entry will be free to the public, but we hope users will support the cost of maintenance with small donations as they come and go."

How did Haspel become involved?

"When I lived in Fairfax, we used to go to the dog park in Reston with our pug who has since crossed the rainbow bridge. When we moved out to Warrenton, we rescued a black lab mix who has turned out to have more energy than we bargained for," he said.

"The lack of a dog park became immediately apparent. We have to drive all the way to Centreville to find one that has enough room for him to run. There is now a small park at the Merrifield Garden Center in Gainesville, but it doesn't serve our needs," Haspel said.

Piedmont Dogs hopes to open the Vint Hill park in the spring of this year.

Haspel said locations for future parks, which may include Warrenton, Gainesville and Marshall, will be considered once the Vint Hill park is established.

Piedmont Dogs was incorporated as a non-profit in April 2009, and the Vint Hill project has more than 30 support-ers. To find out more about the planned park and/or to donate, visit piedmontdogs.com.