Bennett Cerf Park Goes to the Dogs, Maybe as Soon as March

The Friends of the Bennett Cerf Dog Park continue to raise money with hopes of officially welcoming dogs to the park in March.

In April, the board of Carroll County Commissioners told Jeff Degitz, director of Carroll County Recreation and Parks, they would approve the use of Bennett Cerf for a dog park if the community raised the $15,000 to construct the park.

Laurie Walters, president of the Friends of Bennett Cerf Dog Park, said that the group has raised almost $16,000 for the park, $7,500 of which came from the Carroll Kennel Club. 

According to Walters, the money is being used to pay for expenses including wood chips to cover the old tennis court and a 5-foot tall chain link fence which will surround the entire dog park area. Other items that require expenditures, which may not be installed prior to the opening, include benches and landscaping.

Membership will be required to use the dog park. Walters said the $30 annual membership fee will provide funds to maintain the dog park and membership will ensure that dogs using the park are licensed and have the appropriate inoculations.

Walters said that the sale of memberships will begin once the fence is installed. She said she is hoping for an early March opening date for the park.

The group will be hosting a fundraiser on Feb. 12 at The Greene Turtle in Westminster. A portion of all sales on Feb. 12 will be donated to the dog park project. Walters said the fundraiser date was selected to coincide with the Westminster Kennel Club best in show judging, which will be playing on TVs at The Greene Turtle.

The Friends of the Bennett Cerf Dog Park, an all volunteer group, meets  on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the County Recreation and Parks Building, 300 South Center St. in Westminster. The public is invited to attend to learn more, or visit the website at http://www.bennettcerfdogpark.org/