Vote For Tehachapi! Bark for Our Park!

Dear Tehachapi Residents & Fellow Dog Lovers,

As you may already know, Meadowbrook Park is about to undergo an 'Extreme Makeover'.

The conceptual site plan for the park's overhaul has been approved, the architects have been hired, and City officials are on board to usher in an exciting new era in outdoor recreation in the city of Tehachapi! Furthermore, Marley's Mutts' Executive Director, Zach Skow and I, Liz Kover, (Animal-Assisted Activities Director), are on the planning committee for the dog park element of Meadowbrook's redesign!

A dog park has the potential to be so much more than an empty patch of land with a fence around it. As dog rescuers and trainers, we understand that three of the most important – if not crucial – elements of a dog's health and well-being are exercise, socialization (with other dogs and also people), and playtime.

With awesome playground equipment for dogs – like agility courses and climbing rocks – a dog park becomes a challenge course that stimulates dogs' minds as well as their bodies!*

With water features such as fire hydrant water fountains and sprinklers, dogs stay cool and hydrated during a hot Kern County summer. And with lots of shade trees, benches, and clean-up stations, dogs and their people can relax and spend whole days together at a park built for everyone's enjoyment!

While the dog parks of yesterday were rather bland, we envision the dog parks of tomorrow – including our own – as community gathering places where canine fun and fitness abound!

Now, thanks to PetSafe's Bark for Your Park Contest, we may be able to make Tehachapi's new dog park the coolest one yet!

PetSafe is offering one lucky city the chance to win $100,000 toward the design and construction of a dream dog park. $25,000 will go to three runners-up. I am thrilled to announce that our fair city of Tehachapi is in the running.

We are, in fact, currently among the front-runners, with votes coming in internationally through promotion on Marley's Mutts' and Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District's Facebook pages! http://facebook.com/MarleysMuttsDogRescue http://facebook.com/tvrpd.

Meadowbrook's site plan is already approved, we do have a small budget for the dog park renovation.

The addition of these financial winnings could mean the difference between run-of-the-mill and Out-of-this-World! We need your help to make this dream a reality!

Which city wins will be based almost solely on the popular vote, so please, please vote!

Share the info with everyone you know, and ask them to please vote, too! Each person can vote twice per day, once here: http://petsafe.net/barkforyourpark/ and once on PetSafe's Facebook page, here: http://facebook.com/PetSafeBrand. You will need to create an account the first time you log on, and you'll want to be sure and vote for Tehachapi!

Thank you so much, Tehachapians, for your continued support of the work of Marley's Mutts. And for your dedication to maintaining the joyful spirit of this community.

Let's do this... for the dogs!

Dog Speed, Liz R. Kover

* – We do not know how the design of the dog park will work, or what playground equipment might be provided by PetSafe were we to win the contest. These are hypothetical examples of what could be, based on what we see at other dream dog parks around the U.S.