Park Wish List

Here are some ideas of things that have been suggested as additions at the Park. We’re always glad to hear others! In the meantime, think big when you’re considering a donation, and let us know what improvements you’d like to see! Remember, K9COLA is a federally registered 501(c)3 corporation, so all donations are tax-deductible.

Trees
We are planting shady, attractive, flowering (non-fruit bearing) pear trees along the alley. Sponsor a pear tree for the Park alley for only $250. Donors get an engraved plaque in front of their trees – consider dedicating a tree to a friend or loved one. And picture the alley in the spring when the trees are grown!

Maintenance/Storage Shed
K9COLA and the City could really use a storage shed in which to keep supplies such as our wheeled cart for trash collection, our sled for winter trash, extra poop bags and trash bags, extra trash cans, and general maintenance equipment. (This illustration is just a sample of something that might be built.)

Benches
Because we want to encourage people to keep moving while at the park, we don't want to fill it with benches. However, we could still use a few more, particularly to give seniors and disabled folks a place to rest. Benches cost $200 and, like the trees, can have an engraved plaque with donor or dedication information.

An Outdoor Year-Round Low-Level Agility Course
Thanks to donations and to the City of Cedar Rapids, a low-level agility course was installed in the summer of 2006! Come out and let your dogs play in their very own playground!
The quality of this photo is not good as it comes from a catalog, but it gives you an idea of some of the features. All items in the OLA would be low to ground so even beginners or loose dogs could not hurt themselves. We'd have a pause table, open jumps, a very low A-frame, tunnels (puppies LOVE tunnels), and probably a dog-walk nearly at ground level. Cost for six to eight basic pieces is around $8,000. This would encourage owners to do something with their dogs and maybe inspire them to get involved in "real" agility classes and competitions

Pond or Splash Pad
K9COLA has had a soil and grade test done at the park and there is a 40' x 60' low area in the back south side of the wild area which would be the best possible site for a small pond (price to be determined). Depending uon aeration needs, we'd consider a natural windmill for that ($650). Since some owners would not want their dogs in the water, we would plan on landscaping or some kind of barrier around part of pond to deter dogs from heading there on their own. There would be a couple of steps leading down into the pond, which would probably be four to six feet deep. An alternative to a pond might be a splash pad nearer the entry area, similar to those for young kids in some of the other City parks.

Rain/Sun Shelter
Thanks to your donations to K9COLA, two shelters were purchased by K9COLA and installed by the City in the summer of 2004!
Current thinking regarding shelters is for several small shelters scattered throughout the park, probably near or incorporating the existing benches. These are visualized as places where owners and dogs can escape sudden rain showers or the extremely hot summer sun, but will be small to discourage large groups from congregating within and consequently losing track of their dogs. We hope to have one or two of these shelters installed in the park by the summer of 2004, thanks to a successful point-of-purchase fundraiser at Petco in the summer of 2003.

Restore the Wild Area to Prairie
We'd like to convert the current six acres of wild area at the back of the Park to real long-and short-grass Iowa prairie. This would involve mowing the wild area down, doing some burns, and re-seeding (probably close to $15,000 for the entire area). It would take a number of years to see beautiful results, but what a wonderful legacy for future dog owners and families. An additional benefit is that we would get rid of the poison ivy, thistles, and native Iowa wild rose bushes (and their thorns) currently proliferating in that area.