One Step Closer to Having an Official Dog Park

We have great news to share! The DC Council’s FY2022 budget, approved by the Council on August 3, includes full funding for the build out of the dog park. This budget allocation, combined with the fact that the District is close to finalizing a lease with WMATA, is a huge milestone in making the park an official District dog park. 

The lease and budget allocation are a big win for the community. They will not only ensure that members of the community have a safe space for our dogs, but will also allow us to maintain a valued meeting place where Columbia Heights and surrounding community residents interact with their neighbors, make new friends and feel a sense of community. Furthermore, it will preserve green space in our neighborhood, which is already greatly lacking.

The budget allocation is for $1 million, which is based on the Department of Parks and Recreation’s estimate of how much it will cost to improve the park. The funds will be in place at the start of the new fiscal year, which begins this October. 

We owe great thanks to all of you who have supported and advocated for the park the last several years. We also owe great thanks to Chairman Mendelson and other members of the Council for their efforts. In particular, we should thank Councilmember Nadeau, who has continued to support the park throughout the years, even when we faced unexpected twists and turns with WMATA. 

Please click here to thank the Members of the Council.

The process to make the park official isn’t over yet. We are currently putting together the formal dog park application, which we must submit to the Department of Parks and Recreation. If you haven’t signed the application yet, your next opportunity to do so is at Hook Hall on August 17 , 2021 from 6:00-8:00pm. 

Sign the Dog Park Application

The next step in making this park an official DC dog park is submitting a dog park application. We need your signatures to show that the community supports the park.

We’ll be at the park collecting signatures on the following days:

• Friday, July 23, 5:30PM-7:30PM

• Saturday, July 24, 11:00AM-1:00PM and 3:00PM-5:00PM

• Sunday, July 25, 11:00AM-1:00PM and 3:00PM-5:00PM

• Wednesday, July 28, 8:30AM-9:30AM

• Thursday, July 29, 8:30AM-9:30AM

If you want to read more about the dog park application process, click here.

Thanks for Helping at the June Park Clean-up

Thanks to everyone who came out today for the Quarterly Clean-up . We filled 9 bags with trash and debris. We also replaced the mesh on the fence to keep puppers in the park. And we also disposed of the tree boxes that somebody had removed for unknown reasons several weeks ago. The wood had started rotting, attracting rats and posed a safety concern for our doggies. Thanks also to our friends Georgia Ave Thrive for letting a us borrow the grabbers.

Dogs With Santa 2020

Hook Hall hosted us for our third Dogs Meet Santa photo event. In one of our most fun events of the year, more than 50 dogs met Santa and had their pictures taken in a socially-distanced, outdoor set up. We also collected donations for the Humane Rescue Alliance.

Check out all of the photos from the event and prior Christmas photo shoots here.

Halloween Walk

11th & Bark took part in the greater community Halloween celebration this year to help the community celebrate Halloween in a safe, socially distanced way. We set up a table on the sidewalk outside the dog park from 4pm to 7pm and handed out treats to the kids and the dogs. Thanks to every one who stopped by.

Virtual Annual Halloween Dog Costume Contest

This year, our Halloween costume contest went virtual. Dog owners entered photos of their dogs in costume via Instagram and email, and competed in four categories: Scariest, Most Original, Best Human/Dog Combo, and Community Favorite. Members of the 11th & Bark Board voted on the first three categories, while Community Favorite was chosen by the through “likes” on our Facebook page. Find the list of winners here.

October Park Cleanup

11th & Bark usually holds a cleanup every quarter. Because of social distancing requirements, we haven’t been able to have them, but our Board Members have been showing up to do it as a small group. On Saturday, October 3, we made a new bench, added new fencing to keep the small dogs and tennis balls in the park, added mulch to the tree boxes, and cleaned up trash and dog poop. Thanks to those who were at the park and offered to chip in!

Park Update: the District Will Lease the Land

We have good news: The District is now set to lease the dog park land from WMATA. Once we get more information on the lease and when it will begin, we will let you know. Although the District's orginal plan was to purchase the property, it turns out there are federal covenants on the land that prohibited the sale. 

After a yearslong effort and all of your hard work and support, we think we are finally nearing the point where there will be a long-term plan for the park, and we can begin fundraising for renovations and upgrades we have long sought.
  

In preparation for fundraising for park renovations, we would like to add a new member to our board with fundraising experience. If you are interested, please email us at 11thandbark@gmail.com. 

We also will form a fundraising committee, made up of board members as well as other volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering your time for that committee, please let us know. Thank you for your help! We hope that we will get the go-ahead to start fundraising by early 2021.

Dog Parks Are Back Open!

The Mayor has reopened all District parks, including our dog parks.

Please adhere to social distance rules. Stay safe. Protect others. Be kind.