DogBoston’s Dog Blog

From their website:

SPACE was started about three years ago to find a location for an off-leash park, and to raise money for a fence to establish the park. It’s been a long haul, but we’ve almost closed the gap on the $12,300 needed for the main fence at the Leslie’s Retreat Park in Salem.

We will continue to raise money for the separate small dog area, as well as benches, bag dispensers, trash barrels, and landscaping that will happen in the spring. I’ll be sending acknowledgements for gifts made to SPACE right after the holidays. We’ll contact people on the email list with updates and probably have a meeting in early-mid January to plan and prioritize projects for the spring. To get on the email list email salemspace@hotmail.com.

It’s been fantastic to see how people have rallied to provide dogs in Salem with a place to run! People to thank for your dog park include the many individual contributors, the Board members of SPACE, the Salem City Council, The Barking Cat, Unleashed Pet Store in Beverly, All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, and the Petco Foundation. Doug Bollen of Salem Parks and Rec/Council on Aging deserves special mention as it was his idea to form the dog park group which became SPACE.

With the fence in there is still a lot more to be done. We hope to add benches, a waste can inside the park, a separate run for small dogs, a spigot for filling water bowls, and other amenities. We will have to keep fund-raising for these things, as the City is not able to provide support due to a budget shortfall.

SPACE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which means contributions are tax-deductible. Soon we will be providing an opportunity to have your dog’s name, and/or a message, engraved on a brick to be part of the entry-way to the park. Watch this site for an order form and more information.

This site is brand-new as of December 15, 2006, and we will be working on the site over the coming weeks to add information on how to get involved in planning, dog park rules and etiquette, plans for additional off-leash parks in Salem, events, and dog-related resources.