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A Letter from the President FALL 2008
During this past year we have been able to see many of our ADOG goals accomplished. The primary reason ADOG was formed 10 years ago was to establish an off-leash dog park in Fountain Hills. Once the land was donated to the town by MCO Realty and the Sanitary District took on the cost for all the grading and the irrigation system the town paid for and installed the chain link fence. Now we had a park, but we need shade, fountains and lights. To work toward these goals the ADOG directors formed a non-profit 501(3)c corporation. This allowed donors to help improve the park for our dogs and take a tax deduction for this donation. Dog drinking fountains were purchased and installed and two of the three shade structures were purchased and installed by ADOG. After years of fund raising efforts we had raised in excess of $27,000 toward lights in the park. With the help of the tax payers of Fountain Hills the lights were installed and turned on last November. So the major goals for ADOG have been accomplished. During these years we have also developed a good working relationship with the towns Parks & Recreation Department. It has allows ADOG to represent its members in all matters that effect the park. So we have accomplished many goals over the years, but we still feel that a strong voice is very important to maintain a great park.
During this past year we saw the lights come on. We also presented several local fire departments with animal oxygen recovery masks to help save our pets if they should ever require resuscitation. We held our first annual PAWS Adopt-A-Thon at Fountain Park. This event was able to help find homes for over 70 needy pets. We were also able to raise over $2,000 toward required medical care to help these abandoned and homeless dogs, cats, rats and even horses. We also convinced the town to let us retain the current shade structures. They wanted to remove these structures as unnecessary once the new Ramad’s are erected. ADOG believed that it was very important that we retain the small amount of shade we have in our park for all of the patrons. So ADOG assumed the cost for painting the metal frame work, new tops and the relocation of one of these structures. Thanks to your financial support we have the $7,100 required to help fund this project. We are currently looking for ways to provide a location for our wading pools that will drain to existing landscaping and prevent the mud problem we are all familiar with. Several other ADOG sponsored improvements are currently in the planning stages.
After four years on the ADOG board of directors, three as the President, I will be stepping down at the end of this year. The annual election for our 2009 board of directors is scheduled for Wednesday November 19, 2008. So we are looking for several of our members to step forward and volunteer to serve on this board of directors. Several of our current board members have indicated that they would like to remain for next year’s board. To help attract new members for this board, we have made several changes for 2009. We have lowered the number of board members to five (5) from the previous number of nine (9). We have also changed our meeting requirements from monthly to “as necessary”. Both of these changes are allowed under our ADOG articles of incorporation. But as members of next years board you will be ask to play an active role in our next Adopt-A-Thon scheduled for Sunday March 29, 2009. Please also be aware that the majority rules on our board of directors. You may have several great ideas to help improve the park, but the majority on the board may not always agree. I guess what I am saying is that it truly is a team effort to serve on the board of directors.
We are also in need of volunteers in the following areas: (1.) Newsletter Editor (2.) PAWS Adopt-A-Thon organizer, fund raisers and event help (3.) Public Relations (4.) Membership Drive.
Please contact me at adogmember@aol.com or cjerrywise@aol.com if you would like to help out in any of these areas. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 480-816-0196.
It has been my sincere pleasure to have represented you and your dog(s) over the past years. We have shared in many successes and a few failures. Unfortunately, ADOG does not own the park and the town is not always receptive to our advice and recommendations. But thanks to your continued support ADOG has been very effective in helping to improve and maintain our park over the years. I look forward to seeing these efforts continue under our new 2009 board of directors!
Jerry Wise
The President’s tips on keeping your pet happy, and safe, at the dog park
We are very fortunate here in Fountain Hills to have one of the finest off-leash dog parks in the valley. Many of us who are regulars at the park can vividly remember the first time we brought our dogs to the park. It can be stressful to introduce this very special member of your family to a new environment, to run free with all of those other unknown pooches! “Will he be hurt or catch a disease?” is often foremost in our minds.
Here are some tips to help make that initial visit and each visit thereafter a safe and happy one. However, before you dive into the list below, please note that while these are recommendations based on my own experience and that of other ADOG members who regularly frequent the park, they are certainly not guarantees of dog behavior. As the person who knows your pet(s) the best, you will ultimately be the best judge of how to introduce your dog to any new environment.
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