CULLMAN, Ala. – People and pups alike had a pawsitively perfect time at the inaugural Pups and Pints fundraiser on Saturday, June 3. The event, hosted at Goat Island Brewing by Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism (CPRST), set out to raise funds for a new and improved dog park for the community’s canine residents.
The afternoon was chill fun in the sun; dogs of all ages and sizes mingled on the turf at Goat Island while their parents sipped signature brews and shopped around at the dog-centric vendor tents. For those amped-up canines with the zoomies, a pop-up dog park sponsored by Tangled Tails Groom & Board was available.
The event was the first of many intended to raise funds for relocating and implementing a new dog park, slated to finish by 2025. The spark for a change came after an assessment of the current location at Heritage Park. The existing lot is in full sun, which renders it almost unusable for many dogs during months of high heat and humidity; the existing park is also only 1.4 acres.
The lot CPRST has in mind? An almost fully shaded grove at Ingle Park, measuring 2.75 acres, that would solve the issue of sun and space. However, moving the park comes at a significant cost.
“The cost of the park is probably not what any dog owner thinks about when they go to the park,” mentioned CPRST Marketing Director Sandra Slate. “If we can grow support from the community as well as search for grant opportunities, we hope to continue to keep the momentum going for this new location.”
CPRST supplied the following estimates:
- Labor to move existing fencing, purchase of additional fencing: $20,000
- Waste stations and supporting signage: $849
- Weatherized benches: $1,500 each
- Trash bins: $1,700
- ADA-compliant dog watering stations and signage: $5,000
- Dog training and exercise equipment, complete set: $15,000
With over 500 people in attendance throughout the five-hour-long event, the inaugural Pups and Pints raised nearly $2,500 to go toward the project.
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