Possible dog park in St. Joseph

by Cori Hilsgen

news@thenewsleaders.com

Many area residents have met MaryBeth Munden as she is out and about walking her dog, Paulie.

Paulie is a 70-pound part border collie who was a stray dog in St. Joseph and found a home with Munden.

“He’s adorable,” she said. “(He) loves everyone and everything.”

Munden is a St. Joseph resident who works full-time for the St. Joseph Police Department. She also waitresses at Kay’s Kitchen and the El Paso Bar and Grill and works for Bliss Media’s Outlet Bait and Tackle. She is doing all those jobs as she works to complete an associate’s degree at St. Cloud Technical College.

Munden said many people have expressed an interest to her about having a dog park in St. Joseph.

Munden is asking people who are interested in helping support, volunteer or donate for a dog park to please contact her.

She has talked to members of the park board who have selected some land that could possibly be used for a dog park.

Munden said the land is a wooded area located east of the St. Joseph Lake Wobegon trailhead and north of the trail. She has been told the proposed area would need about 1,300 linear feet of fencing.

If the land is approved for a dog park, volunteers would be needed to help clear brush and more.

Park-board members have asked Munden to confirm this is something people in the city and surrounding areas are interested in, so she is trying to gather names of people who want to help support the cause.

Park-board members want to be sure this is something residents in the area want and will use before they present it to the St. Joseph City Council for discussion.

Her vision includes a general area for all dogs and another area for small dogs. Eventually, she would like to see benches and water added but said that will be determined by funds earned.

She said the park could be similar to other parks, such as the one in St. Cloud where people would pay either a daily or yearly fee to use the park. The fee would be determined by the city council.

Munden said she and others plan to do some fundraising for materials needed and more.

For more information, searching fetchadogparksaintjoseph on Facebook. Munden is seeking the name, address and telephone number of anyone who’s interested in helping support a dog park.

If interested in supporting Munden’s dream of a dog park, email her at mbmunden@gmail.com or text or call her on her cell phone number which is 320-291-5003.