By Dixon Bledsoe
Silverton resident Lonna Boucher wants a place for her best friend, Suki, to play.
That’s why she is “gung-ho and going full throttle” to ensure Silverton has a dog park.
The City of Silverton has a two-year plan and a layout for a dog park to be privately funded but located on city-owned property by the Silverton Senior Center at West Main and Westfield streets.
Boucher’s goal is to get the dog park done by next summer while making the location part of a family-friendly complex with a skate park, a community park and the senior center.
A committee is forming, and the dog park has already garnered a lot of interest, reporting seed money of $3,000 already in the bank. There are no official estimates for the park’s final cost. Boucher is working closely with Kyle Palmer of Silver Creek Animal Clinic and a city councilor and its owner, Dr. Mike Stewart.
Boucher hopes to collect donations at the annual Silverton Pet Parade on May 21 with donation cans around town and perhaps at a booth. She is researching dog parks by visiting examples in Keizer and Woodburn.
“We hope to construct a two-part park – one for small dogs and one for larger dogs,” Boucher said. “It is not just going to be a fenced area with grass. I am gung-ho on a play structure and agility course for dogs.”
Boucher has explored some funding possibilities with Bark Magazine and Nutro Dog Food, each with a reputation for helping fund dog parks across the nation. She plans to pursue grants, put up flyers around town and create a canine calendar.
“Lonna is really excited about pulling this together, and it is picking up a lot of steam in the community. I plan on helping through the clinic anyway we can, but she is certainly the force behind getting it done,” Palmer said.
Sheldon Travers, a professional photographer, has offered to help with the calendar pictures. Boucher is also planning a canine costume contest. The proud owner of an Akita service dog, Boucher is a six-year resident of Silverton who wants to be active in the community. The retired nurse wants to give back and has found her new mission. The dogs of Silverton, along with their human counterparts, are sure to benefit if only a quarter of Boucher’s energy is successful on the fundraising side. Anyone interested in making a donation or serving on the committee should call Boucher at 503-873-4262.
