In an effort to bring the first dog park to the west side of Chula Vista, a fundraiser will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at Eucalyptus Park.
Dog Day in the Park is designed to raise the remaining $2,000 of the estimated $8,000 needed for the dog park, said Jennifer Santander, council aide for Councilwoman Pamela Bensoussan.
Santander said through sponsorships and private donations, $6,000 has already been raised.
“With this event we are hoping to close that gap,’’ she said.
Developer Baldwin & Sons and Unleashed by Petco are the two main corporate sponsors.
Funds at the event will be raised through the purchase of raffle tickets or donations, Santander said.
Winners of the raffles will receive dog items donated by Petco.
Not only will this be a fundraising event, attendees and their four legged friends can be part of the slew of activities that will be available such as a fashion show for puppies, contests, exhibits and a dog wellness center.
Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to adopt a pet through an adoption event hosted by Chula Vista’s Animal Care Facility.
The dog park is part of a remodeling project to enhance Eucalyptus Park, the oldest park in the city of Chula Vista.
“All of that is just improvement for the park that’s going to be conducive to better attendance and more people going and enjoying the park,” she said.
“The park has been neglected in the way that it attracts unwanted visitors and gang activities so it really needs to be revitalized so that it can be safe for children and families to attend. And just by adding this dog park it encourages people to use the park, which is really the key.”
Although there is already a dog park on the east side of town in Otay Ranch, this one at Eucalyptus Park will be the first on the west side.
Bensoussan, who is spearheading the dog park project for about a year, said in a statement that the efforts to bring a dog park to the area couldn’t have been possible without the community’s involvement.
“The creation of Eucalyptus Dog Park is community driven, fulfilling a long overdue need on the city’s west side,” Bensoussan said. “As a dog lover myself I am thrilled to bring this project to fruition.”
Construction for the project hasn’t begun but it is scheduled to be completed by August 2015, Santander said.
Eucalyptus Park is at 66 Fourth Ave. in Chula Vista.
