Becker’s new dog park was opened to the public Sept. 9. Many furry residents and their humans came to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and get the first, exclusive look at the park.

Open to Furry Friends

The dog park is located just north of Becker City Park on Co. Rd. 23. It consists of two fanced-in areas, one for small and timid dogs, and another for large dogs. Animals will be allowed to run without a leash within the fenced-in areas.

Creating the Dog Park

Josh Kuha, general manager of the Becker Community Center (BCC) and Becker’s Parks and Rec. Dept., said that the whole project came together quickly.

“Due to COVID-19” he said, “we’ve had to put so many projects on hold. But the dog park was something that could be done outdoors, and a project that the community has been wanting for some time. This was ranked very high up with what people wanted to see in our community,” Kuha said during his speech.

According to Kuha, the toughest part of the project was finding the perfect location. In doing research for the project, Parks and Rec. discovered that a dog park would require a shady area. Open fields with lots of sunlight beating down can cause furry friends to overheat and become dehydrated. Kuha and his team decided on the lot just north of the Becker City Park as the best spot to put the park. The area already had a parking lot and a couple of picnic tables, and it was a simple matter to hire a contractor to install the fencing.

Girl Scout Troop 780

Becker’s Girl Scout Troop 780 also made an impact at the new dog park. Kayla Brandt, Kaelyn Drayna, Dani Henrichsen, and Lucy Pink created a “Puppy Pantry” which will stay at the dog park. A Puppy Pantry is a donation bin where residents can deposit dry food, beds, treats, toys, grooming supplies, cat litter, cleaning supplies, collars and leashes, puppy pads, water and food bowls, and furniture. The Puppy Pantry will be emptied once a month, or as supplies are needed, and items will go to help Ruff Start Rescue. The design on the front was created by a recent Becker graduate.

The girls tackled this project in order to earn their Silver Award, the second-highest award girl scouts can earn. All the girls are dog lovers who have their own four-legged pals at home. The girls also raised money by selling dog treats for dog attendees, and puppy chow for the human guests.