Status Update

McCarren Park Dog Run has been around for 10+ years. It has seen many transformations over that time as our community of local dog owners have pitched in to improve the space.  McCarren Dog Run Association is a non-profit organization conceived over 5 years ago by Christine Murray who started the 501(c)(3).  It is committed to maintaining and improving the condition of the park and its community. With the help of many people and businesses along the way, the organization has made several significant improvements to the park: the drainage system was put in place in 2011 from the $20,000 raised by the community, tools have been made accessible, regular clean ups have been organized and more awareness has been raised regarding dog park etiquette. 

Our new board is so lucky and excited to use the resources left to us by our predecessors. To show our gratitude to Christine, the founding board members and their original mission, we are committed to:

• continue promoting responsible dog ownership and working to maintain a safe and clean dog run;
• using existing funds only toward the direct improvement of the park;
• maintaining a board that is comprised of a majority of independent dog run users instead of dog business owners.

Agreeing on these resolutions, our new board of directors met for the first time on Monday to discuss the short-term goals we are out to accomplish. Check out our Facebook page and come on down to the park to see the improvements we are making. One of our central goals here is to foster a tighter community of dog run users who are willing to help make the park a healthy, safe and fun place for our dogs.

Soooo, please don't hesitate to reach out and see how you can get involved. Together we can all bring McCarren Park Dog Run to new heights and we look forward to it.

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McCarren Dog Run Association

mcdogrun@gmail.com

Facebook

What will your dog be?

Clean Up this Saturday 6/16 Hosed by Happy Dogs

I am SO HAPPY to share about our partnership with Happy Dogs.

Starting this Saturday, McCarren Dog Run Association and Happy Dogs
are hosting a community clean-up on Saturday, June 16 from 10:30AM to
noon.

Happy Dogs is coordinating the clean up which includes Urban Rusic
providing refreshments and yummy food. In addition to tidying up the
dog runs and fixing up the benches, we will pull down some of the
chips from the perimeter of the runs to make the runs more leveled*.
All the necessary tools such as rakes and shovels will be provided.
We have also requested more chips from the Parks Department.

Come and join us to make McCarren Park dog runs a  clean and healthy
place for our dogs!

Can't make it on Saturday?   Email me and I will either get you a key
for the new tools or share the secret spot  and you can organize your
own clean up.   It is really important to pull down the chips from the
perimeter so we don't have bowl effect that results in puddles.*

Hope to see y'all!

Christine & the Demon Dogs

*  check out http://mcdogrun.blogspot.com/2012/06/digging-out-sides.html

Digging out the Sides

Want Chips?

New chips have been ordered BUT Parks can't/won't bring them into the big dog run unless we clear out the area near the gates at Driggs and Union. All of the old chips piled up at the gates near Union and Driggs must be moved into the dog run. The run surface needs to be at the same level as the sidewalk for the truck to drive in.

What needs to happen:

Volunteers from the dog run need to use the tools by the entrance gates to pull those piles of chips to other parts of the run. The quickest method is to put the chips on the tarp and drag them to the center of the run or to the far corner to cover the drainage membrane and piping. The work needs to be done in the next seven (7) days for the Dog Run to be able to get chips.

How will you help? Or will you just expect someone else to do this? If no one can get it together to do this, no chips.

Please feel free to share the above email with your dog run friends who might not be on the google group. To join the google group, send a request to mcdogrun@gmail.com.

The Drainage really works!

I believe you can never say Thank You enough ... Thank you OSA for your support and this letter. Thank you to everyone who donated and believed. Thank you to our local pet stores - Happy Dogs at McCarren Park, PS9 Pet Supplies and NYCPets.com.

Dog Run Drainage Project Completion Ceremony

French Drain Being Installed

Completed Project!

I am truly SO pleased to share with y'all ... Our dry well & french drains as approved by the Parks Department were installed last week! Everything looks like it is working well.

Let's celebrate our accomplishment with a little Ribbon Cutting Ceremony:

Saturday, October 29, at 10 am
Front of the Big Dog Run

Please join us. Dogs are welcomed!

We as a community did something pretty amazing. We as a community saw a problem, found a solution and worked through all the red tape that is the Parks Department, and working with OSA who at the time was a brand new nonprofit with a new executive director.

I am amazed at how the community supported us.

Thanks again for all your support! Look forward to celebrating what we have accomplished on Saturday, October 29th.

Deepest of appreciation,

Christine

& the demon dogs (Valencia & Ursula)