Nearly 50 dog, cat, and pig owners went home with a portrait of their beloved animal after the Paint Your Pet fundraiser on Thursday night to support the dog park construction in Wareham.

Organized by the Dog Park Affiliation of Wareham (DPAW), the fundraiser was held on March 28 at Stone Path Malt to raise money for the upcoming dog park. The event organizer, Corey Blanchard, believes the recreation area will benefit the animals, their owners, and the greater community.

“Wareham lacks areas where dogs could run off-leash,” said Blanchard. “Dogs that regularly exercise and interact with other dogs usually have less behavioral issues, so we need the park to not only help the animals themselves but also the community.”

The guests also expressed demand for this type of park. The town resident Linda Kapala walks her dog inside the local tennis courts, saying it is one of the few places where she could let it run off-leash without receiving backlash from the neighbors.  

Kapala also believes the dog park will increase the safety for both people and pets.

“A dog park is a safe spot with a fenced area that is generally cleaned by the volunteers to make sure there is no hazard for the dogs’ paws,” said Kapala. “On the streets, people often leave their trash and food on the ground, which the dog might eat.”

All proceeds from the event went towards DPAW’s goal to raise $10,000 towards the construction of the park. Blanchard said that collecting this amount will initiate the Stanton Foundation and the Community Preservation Committee to sponsor the park.

“By raising this much money, we will show the citizens’ interest in getting the park and their enthusiasm to support and sustain it for the years to come,” said Blanchard.

The dog park would be located on a 7 acre property off Maple Springs Road near Atlantic Boats. Double gates will separate two playfields for large and small dogs. The recreation area will include a concrete plaza, water fountains, trash receptacles, shade trees, and parking spots.

The DPAW volunteers will soon start preparing the area for the construction.

“In a couple of weeks we are hoping to have a ‘meet and greet’ for people who are interested to learn more about the location and also hoping to do a clean-up of the area, because right now it is used as a dumping ground and we would like to get rid of the garbage and bring it to its natural state,” said Blanchard

DPAW members also plan to organize a dining for a cause silent auction and dinner, and will participate in the upcoming oyster and swan festivals.

The DPAW volunteers thanked Stone Path Malt and El Mariachi’s for providing a venue and food for the event.