Bark For Your Park: Pacifica in 11th Place

Pacifica is one of 15 finalists in a competition for $100,000 to build its very own new dog park. 

The competition, hosted by PetSafe, a pet product brand, pits communities across the country against each other to see who can "bark" the loudest for a dog park. 

Our Coastside community has a ways to go before it can call the cash its own, though. Only one of fifteen finalistis will take home the prize, and community members by the thousands are voting to secure the lead.

Pacifica is currently in 11th place, but the voting window will continue through August 3. 

Pacifica's success so far in the competition (moving from one of hundreds of entries to one of 15 finalists), is largely thanks to the Pacifica Organization of Canine Helpers (POOCH).

POOCH organized and commissioned the video in the gallery to the right, showing a dog looking for a place to run around in Pacifica and finding nothing (pay close attention to the voices used in the video; you might recognize some of Pacifica's civic leaders). 

Although Pacifica is on its way to paying for and building a dog park situated in an eastern field on the 's property, winning this contest could lead to a second park.

The Pacifica City Council recently and construction of the dog park at Sanchez. Although funds for the project are not guaranteed, as "nothing is guaranteed in government," said Mayor Mary Ann Nihart, the process for realizing the park is moving forward, and interest on the Davies Trust and developer fees would be used to pay for its construction. 

This extra $100,000, then, would be used for a second dog park on the north end of town, Nihart said.

POOCH has already raised about $25,000 for the project.

To vote, you can head to PetSafe's Facebook page or its main website. You'll need to enter an email address, so if you have multiple, be sure to vote more than once. And don't forget to pass the word on to friends and family.