In June 2011, a group of dog owners started talking about how Detroit didn’t have a true dog park. There were places where folks would let their pups run off-leash, but to get that true experience – fences, other dogs, benches, water, playscapes, you name it – we had to travel up to 30 minutes to dog parks in neighboring communities.

As we looked around the city, we saw what people in and out of Detroit see all the time – vacant land. But what we also saw was opportunity. How about we take one of those pieces of land, and turn it into a park? How about we fence it off, make it friendly, inviting, fun? How about we create an amenity for Detroit that defines other big cities?

Since then, we’ve explored the city, and found, through the help of city officials, a place where we think a dog park would be absolutely perfect. It’s near some of Detroit’s most iconic places. And we’re working with the city to finalize an agreement to use the space.

In the meantime, we invite you to check out our Facebook page, facebook.com/detroitdogpark. We ask you to donate to our Kickstarter campaign, http://kck.st/RJAFpq,running Nov. 17 through Dec. 17, 2012. And we ask you to bark us up to your friends and neighbors.

We are committed to Detroit. We are committed to our community. We are committed to being part of the city’s future. And we thank you for being part of our park.