The winter season has arrived, bringing with it the joyous festivities of holidays and New Year celebrations! We want to express our sincere thanks for your consistent and steadfast support. Your contributions play a vital role in fulfilling our mission, enabling us to offer our community these amazing parks. We encourage you to discover the latest updates outlined below.
MYSTERIOUS DOG ILLNESS SPREADING
We hope you've come across the signs we've placed in our parks or learned about the concerning spread of a mysterious illness. In light of this, we've taken precautions by disabling or removing water sources. Ensure your pets are up-to-date on their vaccines, and promptly report any signs of illness to your veterinarian.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
As I look ahead to the upcoming new year, it’s what’s behind us, the events held and increased donations received, the memberships added, being more active in the community, seeking and applying for grants, and the filling of open board positions that has created a fantastic team to work with for years to come. All of which and more, is allowing DOGPAW to expand our footprint in the community, to bring more joy for our dogs.
I will close by reiterating what (IMO), is the single most critical aspect to DOGPAW, and that is YOU the membership, and the wonderful giving you have to support DOGPAW. And to those especially that volunteer their time and labor to manage our parks, who strive daily to keep them safe, and clean. To the Board of Directors, lending their vision, passion, and caring for the parks to make a great place to play.
We are planning a busy for year for you and your pets, so keep an eye on our website, FB page, and check your email.
So, I leave you with this thought: “Those Who Can, Do - Those Who Can Do More, Volunteer”.
Marty Rutkovitz
cartoon courtesy of raesidecartoon.com
UPCOMING EVENT
DIY DOG TOY MAKING WORKSHOP JANUARY 13, 2024
Attention, dog lovers! Join us for a tail-wagging good time at our DIY Dog Toy Making Workshop. From flirt poles that engage their prey drive to t-shirt tug toys for some bonding tug-of-war, and snuffle mats to stimulate your pup's senses—this class is all about creating moments of joy for your four-legged companions. Easy-to-find materials, no special skills required—just your love for dogs and a desire to make their tails wag!
Event Details:
Venue: Heathen Brewing Feral Public House's Banquet Room
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Food and Drink: Guests are free to purchase food and drink from Heathen.
Event Fee: $28 - Your ticket covers the cost of all the materials which will be provided at the event. Send Vancouver IRL a message if you want to add a +1 and work together at no additional cost. (please note, you will only receive one set of materials per event fee paid).
Post Event Social: We have the room reserved until 4:00PM, so feel free to stick around afterwards!
Acquire a commercial-grade riding lawn mower with a cart for park maintenance.
Build new tool sheds to store essential equipment.
Replace worn-out weed eaters and acquire other necessary tools for park upkeep.
Donate to our GoFundMe campaign and ensure the continued beauty and safety of these vital community spaces, where dogs play, friendships form, and bonds strengthen. Your contribution makes a significant difference. We have a GoFundMe account for these donations below:
Photo courtesy of Rebecca & her two super dogsCongratulations to Maddie and Echo (and Rebecca) for winning our Halloween Costume Contest! Thank you all for submitting your photos this year.
THANK YOU SANTA!
Photo courtesy of Danielle & her pup
Santa visited Dakota Memorial Park on November 11 and 12 to listen to your furry friends' wishes and pose for pictures. This event proved highly successful, raising crucial funds for our parks. Special thanks to Jan, our VP, for leading this initiative, and to all the volunteers Kari, Karen, Jim and Jan who contributed. A heartfelt appreciation goes out to the authentic Santa (aka Santa Ken Texley, link: https://www.santaspack.com/santa-ken-texley.html) for making the magic happen.
2024 TENTATIVE PARK IMPROVEMENT DAYS
3/23 - Dakota 4/20 - Ike/Ross 5/18 - Lucky 6/- Open 7/20 - Dakota 8/24 - Ike/Ross 9/21 - Lucky Kane park improvement days will be on as needed basis
PARK OPERATIONS UPDATE
A Remarkable 20-Year Dedication
Let's delve into some fascinating statistics. Over the past two decades, our dedicated team member, Jay Knowles, has been diligently responsible for the removal of dog waste from the trash containers across our four parks. Curiosity led me to inquire about the total weight of dog waste he manages. Brace yourself: a staggering 1,400 pounds per week. Crunching the numbers, that translates to 72,800 pounds or 36.4 tons annually (1,400 lbs x 52 weeks).
However, that's merely the tip of the iceberg. Jay goes above and beyond, handling the bags not once, but three times – first from the container to the cart, then from the cart to the back of his truck, and finally from his truck to the centrally located waste containers awaiting pickup by the trash truck. Multiplying the annual weight by the three-handling factor, we arrive at an astonishing 109.2 tons per year. Over the course of two decades, this totals a mind-boggling 2,184 tons.
To put this into perspective, consider that a fully loaded Boeing 747 airplane weighs in at 455 tons. Remarkably, Jay has effectively lifted the equivalent of almost six fully loaded planes during his admirable 20-year tenure.
If you happen to spot Jay at one of the parks, take a moment to express your gratitude and thank him for his unwavering dedication. His hard work and commitment have truly made a significant impact on maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of our park spaces.
DAKOTA (Pacific) - 1515 NE 164th Ave, Vancouver, WA Dakota will be the site for our June 2024 Vendor Fair event. Be on the lookout for updates as this event planning progresses.
IKE(Ross) - 5117 NE 15th Ave, Vancouver From October 9th to 13th the park closed for fence replacement. This essential work replaced sections of the lower-level fence lines and completed routine maintenance tasks throughout the park. Thank you to those who donated specifically for the fence replacement.
Eagle Scout Niles Cowen, Scout Troop 479, for building and installing two new benches at Ike for his Eagle project. Niles even got the concrete donated by Carlson Custom Concrete Company and Pfeifers Mobile Concrete. Niles friends and scout mates helped complete the project.
We are actively continuing our fundraising efforts to cover the costs of the remaining fencing. If you'd like to contribute specifically to this project, donations can be made by clicking HERE.
KANE (Hockinson) - 10910 NE 172nd Ave, Hockinson, WA Our smallest park, though equally cherished, is still very much in our hearts, and rest assured, it has not been overlooked. While there have been no updates since the last newsletter, it remains a special place within our community.
LUCKY (Minkler) - 10100 NE 149th St, Brush Prairie, WA
Eagle Scout Joshua Wuethrich, Scout Troop 310, built and installed three new benches at Lucky for his Eagle project. Joshua performed most of the work building and installing the benches, with support from his Dad, along with scout mates and friends.
A brand new shed kit was donated. A huge thank you to the donor. Seeking a team of dedicated individuals or company volunteers to assemble the shed kit. The project is scheduled for March/April, coinciding with the improving weather conditions. If you are interested, please reach out to us at volunteer@dogpawoffleashparks.org
SHOUTOUTS We hold deep appreciation for our beloved DogPaw community and extend our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals and organizations, listed in no particular order:
Donors who participated in Giving Tuesday 2023, collectively raising over $1,000 for our parks.
Last but certainly not least, we want to convey our heartfelt thanks to our cherished dogs, the beating heart and soul of our flourishing DogPaw community. Our appreciation extends to the committed board of directors, hardworking park managers, tireless volunteers, steadfast members, generous business sponsors, and all the enthusiastic park-goers who contribute to the strength and vibrancy of our community.
REMINDERS
Please refrain from leaving your valuables unattended in your vehicle. It only takes a matter of seconds for someone to break a window and abscond with your belongings. Your cooperation in helping us maintain the cleanliness and security of our parks is greatly appreciated.
BOARD UPDATE
DOGPAW is delighted to announce the appointment of Matt Thorup as our new Treasurer. The Board of Directors warmly welcomes you and expresses their enthusiasm for your decision to join the board and dedicate your valuable time to our cause.
It's essential to highlight that our Board operates entirely on a voluntary and unpaid basis, driven solely by our shared commitment to the well-being of the dogs in Clark County.
Mudpuppies Grooming 808 NE Minnehaha St Vancouver, WA 98665 (360)718-8261 ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------
DOGPAW OFF-LEASH DOG PARK LOCATIONS: Dakota: 1515 NE 164th Ave. Vancouver, WA Ike (Ross): 5117 NE 15th Ave. Vancouver, WA Kane: 10910 NE 172nd Ave. Brush Prairie, WA Lucky: 10100 NE 149th St. Brush Prairie, WA
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