Dog Park Fundraising Ideas

Dog parks offer a great, safe place for owners to bring their dogs for socialization and exercise off leash. Many communities are speaking up and asking for such a park in their neighborhoods. To build these parks, cities often require a demonstration of community support, so fundraisers are essential to the creation and maintenance of these local pet playgrounds.

Purchase plain dog-related items such as dog houses. Ask local artists to volunteer their time and talent to make their mark on these unusual blank slates, then auction off the decorated final products. Auctions can be held online, via phone or as a silent auction at a bigger function.

The ever-popular dog walk is a great way to raise money for a dog park. Set up a walk with both owners and canines. Walkers can either get donations for how far they walk, or you can collect entry fees from walkers. You can also make a little additional cash by selling doggy bags for owners who forgot theirs, to help prevent your walk from becoming littered with dog "land mines."

This fundraiser is very similar to a car wash fundraiser, only for dogs. Set up dog-washing stations complete with water and grooming supplies. See if you can get a couple of mobile pet groomers to volunteer their time to help with supplies and grooming advice; or perhaps have volunteers do the washing and the pros do the grooming.

This fundraising concept works for just about any cause. Charge a fee at the door to exceed expenses, serve cocktails and appetizers (get local caterers to volunteer if you can), and top off the event with a silent auction.

Design a section of the dog park that can hold commemorative plaques with sponsor names on them to let everyone know who helped fund the park. You can set minimum donations to receive a plaque in the park; for example, donations of $100 or more will earn your name set in stone.