Hey all,
There are two worthy causes having fundraisers in the next three weeks. WOOF is putting on a fundraiser for Halfway Home Pet Adoptions (the new KCMO shelter) Saturday 6/20 from 9AM-3PM. Lots of deals and fun stuff, see http://petshalfwayhome.com/ for more info. HSGKC is having their very popular annual Dog-n-Jog on the Plaza next Sunday the 14th. See http://hsgkc.org/dognjogpage09.html for more info.
-------------------
Although I know it looks done, and it is tempting to use both, but neither the new lot or the expansion area are available yet for use. Parks opted to plant buffalo grass in an effort to reduce future wear problems, and it takes some time to get established (athough it appears to be getting there- note that most of the green stuff in the area is actually oats which are meant to hold the soil until the buffalo grass gets going). The lot can't be opened, as it would encourage heavy traffic across the growing grass. Be patient a bit longer- it should be no more than a few weeks. We will be talking with Parks about getting some of the gates padlocked for now to stop early use.
--------------------
I know everybody loved Rockfest :), and we have two other events coming up, Show Me Pride and the Hospital Hill run, that will be right next to the DP and result in restricted access. Here is the info I have:
ShowMe Pride – June 5, 6 & 7th
29th St closed – June 5, 5 pm to June 7, 11:59 pm
Kessler Rd closed (Wyandotte to west Liberty Memorial Parking Lot) – June 5, 5 pm to June 7, 11:59 pm
Hospital Hill Run – June 6
Memorial Drive closed am hours
Wyandotte closed am hours
--------------------
We again are getting hammered on bought bag usage. Please, please, please consider collecting and bringing recycled plastic bags to put in the IKEA dispensers, or just do your best to avoid using the purchased bags. Or if you like the provided bags, consider making a donation throught the 'donate' link to the right to help cover our costs. Thanks all!
---------------------
As you may have seen, there was a letter in the Star refering to the dog that died recently at the dogpark. This is

Hey everybody,
Take Your Dog to A Movie night is this Thursday (5/21)! Come out to see and be seen at the fashion show, pick up a goodie bag from our sponsor City Pets (first 50 dogs), then kick back on a blanket to enjoy the 'Truth About Cats and Dogs' on the (somewhat) big screen! The Humane Society of Greater KC, Midwest Pug Rescue, and Halfway Home pet adoptions (the new privatized KCMO shelter) will all be out with adoptable dogs, lit, and donation jars. We would also encourage people to bring items to help Halfway Home get their new operation rolling, such as bleach, small/medium crates, dog and cat toys, food, and collars, etc. See their website for a full list of needed items.

If you are thinking of getting another dog, this is a great opportunity to start the adoption process now with one of the above organizations and be able to (possibly) have a full 'meet and greet' at the dp Thursday. Good opportunity to see how your current dogs and the prospect(s) relate in an open, fenced area.
------------------------------------
Couple of upcoming Penn Valley Park events to keep in mind- Rockfest will be back at the park on 5/30 (Saturday only this year), resulting in the blocking off of the 29th/Wyandotte area that day. The Show Me Pride Festival will also be in the same area 6/6 and 6/7. Parking at Off Broadway is recommended on those days.
------------------------------------------------
Thanks to everyone,

Hey all,
On 2/24, someone believes they lost their set of Ford car keys (not the set looped through the fence by the north entrance) at the off-leash area. If you found them, or saw them put somewhere, please respond to the list! (email digannouncements@gmail.com)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 29th street parking area work has started. Although I haven't been by to see if the area is completely blocked off, even it if isn't I would recommend parking at Off Broadway instead of on 29th. Again, Off Broadway is the one parking area that will remain open throughout the work period, so getting in the habit of parking there is a good idea.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The KCMO municipal shelter is going private, and needs the community's help to make life better for the animals stuck there, and to also make for a much more attractive adoption environment. True animal advocates are now in charge, so there is a huge opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of dogs who previously had poor chances of surviving their stay and getting adopted out. If you can help, please do! See below for materials they need. Volunteers are also needed. I am trying to find out the best way to make $ donations, will pass that one once I have the info. Below is a plea for help from Jen Shive, the new adoption coordinator:

Dear fellow dog lovers and advocates,

Most of you received an email from me last week and I apologize if I have not been able to respond because we have been working very hard all week to get the shelter ready. It's not even close to being where we want it but we're getting there. Our new name will be Halfway Home Pet Adoptions. We are desperate for these donations so please get the word out to help us. I'm sure I will be working 7-7 all next week as we transition so feel free to drop them off at our location at 4400 Raytown Rd. If you can't drop off donations give me your contact info and I'll send out emails asking people to transport for us but I will have to be able to give out your contact info. Here goes the list and thank you again for all of your support.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>For our new cat room>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-Hanging bird feeders and bird food to put outside the cat room windows
-Blankets, cat beds
-treats and canned food
-bowls
-toys
-window seats
-cat houses-hideouts to put throughout the room
-scratch pads
-sitting chairs to put in the room-the room is pink
-litter and litter boxes

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>For the dogs>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

-Sheets, blankets, dog beds and pillows
-animal print fabric
-bandannas
-bowls
-toys
-treats and canned food
-peanut butter(new and empty jars)
-collars and leashes

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>General Stuff

Hey all,
Recent changes have resulted in two new and one existing dog non-profits/enterprises that could use your help. One is going to be hugely dependent on help from the community to succeed, and the other two are organizations/individuals that do outstanding work and are facing some new challenges presently. First, as you may have heard, the KCMO shelter has privatized in an effort to do a better job of adopting out pets and reducing euthanasia rates. As I know two great individuals who are deeply involved in this effort (Dr. Steckelburg and Jennifer Shive formerly of Spay Neuter Kansas City) and will do their best to vastly improve the current state of the shelter, I am sure this change can be a HUGE success if well supported by the community. First, please consider making the KCMO shelter the first shelter you try (or recommend to others) if you adopt your next pet from a shelter. These pups, unlike low kill or no kill shelters, are literally on death row day one. Adopting these dogs at this choke point immediately gives another dog a better chance of getting out alive. And there are GREAT dogs there, I know from experience, one of my dogs (Fuzz) is a KCMO shelter rescue, and she has more personality, looks, and smarts (as well as ears) than 95% of the dogs out there (I may be a bit biased...:). See the email from Jen below, she can be contacted at jshive@sbcglobal.net:

Dear Animal loving friends,
You are receiving this email because you either know me from volunteering at Spay and Neuter Kansas City or you are just a fellow animal lover and advocate.
I’m sure you know by now that I know longer work for Spay and Neuter Kansas City as of January 19th, 2009 but I have a new job that I want to quickly tell you about. I have been hired as one of two Adoption Coordinators for the Kansas City Public Shelter. As of March 1st, 2009 the shelter is no longer run by the city and it will be privatized. What that means is that it is still a drop off site for Kansas City residents and Animal Control will still bring strays there as well as the public, but we are going to emphasize adoptions, educating the public, and decreasing euthanasia. Right now this particular shelter euthanizes 400 animals a month. My goal and the goal of everyone who has been hired to work there is to tremendously decrease that number by increasing adoptions, educating the public and working with rescue groups. You can help in several ways. If you would like to help here is a list of ways to get involved. Please email me if
you would like to get involved.
1) Volunteer Opportunities-the shelter is going to be open 7 days a week. I will need people to help walk dogs, play with dogs, play with cats, groom and bathe animals, clean, etc. I think we will start at 7am cleaning and feeding and end at 7pm. There are only 2 Coordinators so we need as much help as possible to make the biggest impact. If you’re interested email me and I’ll send you a application. Keep in mind, this is not a no kill shelter but as hard as it may be you can make a huge impact on the lives of these animals.
2) Donations-This list may grow but we will need blankets, dog beds, cat beds, bowls, treats, canned cat and dog food, cat and dog toys, bleach, paper towels, shallow cardboard boxes for litter boxes and litter. Our budget will be stretched to its limit so we would accept as many donations as we can get. Monetary donations will be accepted as well and will be a tax right off. We will be running a non-profit organization as well.
3) Email-I will be sending out emails about dogs and cats that I want to get out of the shelter so that they don’t get euthanized. If you want to receive those emails to forward let me know. Otherwise I won’t bother sending those emails to you. They may be frequent depending on how our adoptions go. I really need to hear from rescue groups who want to know what is at the shelter that needs to be pulled. (note- the DIG email list can't pass on all of these emails- please sign up independently if you want to get them!)
4) SPREAD THE WORD-We need your help promoting out shelter and encouraging people to come and adopt. We will get to screen and there will be an adoption process. I will do whatever I can to match these animals with responsible and caring people. We need your support. Please forward this email to anyone you think would like to help. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Shive

By the way, the Brookside Barkery and Bath

Hello all,
As you have likely noticed, the work on the new parking lot and expansion is progressing well. If you are not up on the history and details, in 2006 DIG successfully applied for PIAC (Public Improvement Advisory Committee- a city mechanism to fund neighborhood projects) funding for a parking lot and expansion. That work is now going, and includes a parking lot on the hill, fence expansion up the hill toward the lot, improvements to the area off 29th street and runoff control measures, specifically numerous rain gardens. I have attached an image file that contains a good snapshot of the overall plan ('#1' in image)- note that the general dimensions are accurate, but some items listed (like the terracing inside the present area near the big rocks) did not get included in the final plans (join the list to get the image- PR). A small dog area is planned for but not funded (area to the north of the parking area next to the fence in the image- more on that later). All of the non-plant related work should be done by 4/20.

Obviously, it is great that we are getting this work done to provide much needed parking and additional space, especially with the popularity of the off-leash area clearly growing. However, some inconvienences will come along with the construction. The contractor is required to block off areas where he is working for safety reasons. As a result, areas around the park may become inaccessible during the work, and it is possible the off-leash area itself may be closed at times if needed. We will do our best to encourage that the work be done as unobtrusively as possible, and will try to provide updates on areas being closed in advance, but expect the unexpected and adjust approriately. One possibly major inconvienence that is coming up is the work off of 29th street, which could result in that popular parking area not being available. Once the parking lot is poured (presently in progress), work will shift to the 29th street area (29th st. is the street that goes down the hill from the back of the Fed to Broadway). Please consider getting in the habit of using the Off Broadway Lot until the work is done. It will be the one parking and park access area that should remain available throughout the work, and is easily accessible by taking 29th down to Broadway, turning left (south) on Broadway and then veering to the right and going under the overpass to Off Broadway.

Obviously, please be considerate of the contractor. DO NOT cross orange fences, even if down. DO NOT park in the construction area on the hill. DO NOT park on the grass across from the 29th street parking area. Read updates sent to the list. Thanks, your cooperation will lead to the work being done more quickly!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIG had a meeting of our new board, and elected officers for 2009. They are:
Paul Randall - President
Bob Hale - Treasurer
Julie Weeks - Secretary

A subsequent email will provide contact information for all the board members. Of course, DIG can always be contacted by replying to this list, or through the 'contact us' link on the website (diginthepark.com). Please remember that DIG is a 501(c)3 non-profit, not a city funded organization, does not have formal authority over the park, and is limited in what we can do by how much volunteer and membership support we get. We are always interested in helping to make the park better and hear about ideas and concerns, but we can't fix everything, and even great ideas can only be acted upon if we have sufficient cooperation and volunteer support to make it happen. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please respond to the list!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although we are still hashing out some of our plans, we can share a few things DIG will definately be doing in 2009:
1. Will host a table at the Pet Expo April 18-19. We need volunteers, let us know if you want to help staff the table!
2. Will have a spring fundraiser at Pizza 51, likely in April. Again, will need volunteers.
3. Will host another 'Take your dog to movie night' with Parks and Rec on May 21st at the park. Ditto on volunteers. Movie TBD.
4. Have more regular and better attended cleanups. Again, need volunteers.
5. We are looking into funding the small dog area as our main focus in 2009. We will definately make this goal the beneficiary of one fundraiser. If we decide it is feasible, big volunteer and donation effort needed!
6. We are experimenting with alternating poop bag purchasing with Parks and Rec throughout 2009. The black bags on a roll are DIG purchased. Parks and Rec will be hurting in the new budget, so we are trying to help out.
7. We will try to do coffee events again this summer. This one will largely be decided by volunteer help- we can almost certainly get the coffee, but won't ask the same couple of people to do almost all of the events again this year, as it isn't fair. So if you want to help, let us know (it is easy). We will invite non-profits to come out for them, so it

Hello all,
Wanted to send out a quick note announcing the new 2009 DIG Board of Directors! Officers will be elected at our first meeting, which will be sometime in the next several weeks. At that time we will also set some plans for 2009.

2009 Board:
Ali Kelley
Bob Hale
Gina Powell
Jon Lowe
Paul Randall
Suzanne Niemeyer
Julie Weeks
See everybody at the park, stay warm!

Hello all!
It is nearly time to elect the 2009 version of the DIG board, so if you are interested in being considered, or want to nominate someone, please respond to the list by the end of the day Sunday, 1/4 with your nominations. Voting will open 1/6, and continue through to the annual meeting, which will be 1/13 (Tue.) from 6:30-7:30 PM at the 'large meeting room' at the Plaza library branch.

We need active members- especially those that are willing to devote a few hours a year to helping the park. If you aren't interested in being a board member, consider joining the volunteer team. There are many great things which we could be doing to improve the park, but we need motivated individuals willing to help make things happen. Here are some of the areas where we could take action/do a better job with some more help:

Park maintenance - Do(doo) a better job at poop bag refilling and having regular, well-attended cleanups. Find solutions to encourage more poo pickup and act upon them. Build upon an already established relationship with Parks maintenance staff to manage mud (via mulch dumps and spreading), deal with maintenance concerns, and generally improve park upkeep.
Park safety - Establish some kind of program to encourage good park canine and owner behavior. Perhaps have 'DIG Rangers', who have received dog behavior and good dog park etiquette training, be at the park on busy days to educate users. Establish set procedures for addressing problem dogs and owners.
Fundraising! - Help raise funds to benefit the park. We have a big funding item, the small dog area, that could greatly improve the park, but will take a considerable chunk of money (the expansion and lot are still on, btw, just slow getting started). Also, DIG needs to have a couple thousand bucks handy at all times to do things like purchase mulch, or for other needs that the Parks dept. can't fund.
Website - Although diginthepark.com does it's job fine, it could be much better. Presently only one person is updating the site- a web saavy person (or just someone with time to find good content and load it to the site) could exponentially improve it. We are willing to spend some money to improve the site by buying 'real' website software (instead of the present shareware), but lack the expertise to put those plans in motion.
Your cause - If you see a problem and it's solution, or just want to do a particular thing that will benefit all users, we are here to listen and support you!
Please respond to the list if you have a nomination or want to be a volunteer!
------------------------------------
Our friends at the Blue Springs dog park, which is a great place, especially if you have a water loving dog, are having a fundraiser 1/17. See ruffbluesprings.org to get info and register!
------------------------------------
SNKC is looking for a foster home for an elderly girl. See the text below- email fite4dogs@yahoo.com if you can help!

This wonderful dog has lived a life of hell. She is 13 yrs. old and for 13 yrs., she has lived in a pen at a house where the people are extremely lazy and neglectful. We've been involved

Hey all!
Santa will be making a visit to the PVP dog park 12/14 (thanks to our friends at Parks and Rec) again this year from 10:30 to Noon. We will have a photographer (thanks Julie!) for pics with Santa (feel free to bring your camera, too), hot beverages, and doggie treats. Last year was loads of fun- don't miss it! Parks and Rec has lots of other great activities going in December- click below for more info!

Btw, if you can't make Paws meet Claus and would still like a Santa pic, our friends at the Humane Society of Greater KC are doing something similar- check out the details below (click on 'Santa Photos' in the middle of the page).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Another great organization that could use your help in this season of giving is SNKC. In addition to having new outreach program furry 'clients' rescued from the street that need somewhere to stay (see email below), they are trying to raise the last bit of money to enable them to end their current stay in a temporary facility at 6817 Stadium Drive and get into their wonderful new facility at 59th and Troost. They do vital spay/neuter and pet outreach work in the inner city that other organizations don't. If you are a fan of the 'Animal Cops' shows and marvel at how they are saviors of pets in horrible situations, did you know that SNKC does the same thing through their outreach program, but without the power of a badge? Many dogs have been rescued from living hells by these angels- they are often these animals only chance, as Animal Control has limited resources, and their only option is usually the city shelter, which is sadly usually these pet's final destination. See below for info on the latest batch of furry waifs saved from the streets:

Hi everyone,

SNKC has 3 new strays that they need help with (click below for pics).

The first dog you see is a black lab mix. Found as a stray. He looks a little Newfie too. He is adorable and about 55lbs. We think he is under a year old, unaltered, and tons of fun.

The second dog is an adorable and happy poodle mix found as a stray eating trash off of the street. He is unaltered and has only 1 testicle that has descended. He seems to be under a year old as well.

The third dog we are working on relinquishment for. The owner is suppose to decide by Monday if they will relinquish her to us. She is spayed but lives outside with a Pit Bull that attacks her. The owners refuse to let her stay inside. She weighs about 15 pounds and looks like a Min Pin/Chihuahua mix. She is 2 years old.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Jennifer Shive
Spay & Neuter Kansas City
P.O. Box 410303
Kansas City, MO 64141
www.snkc.net
Office 816-353-0940
Fax 816-960-1905
Cell 816-507-4502
-------------------------------
A bit late sharing this, but the water is now off at the park. Please bring your own. If anyone is interested in setting up an exchange scheme where folks will take empty water jugs home each visit and bring them back full, reply to the list and we can help to set something up!
--------------------------------

Thanks all, see you at the park!
P&RhsgkcSNKCstrays

Hello all,
   First, a big thanks to the small but dedicated group that helped out spreading mulch this past Saturday.  Although in retrospect, we should have gotten more mulch, what we now have should give us a relatively mud-free park until next spring, when we will get another (larger) load.  From now on, DIG will be purchasing the mulch, and asking for Parks and Rec's help to get it to the park (as we did this time).  Please be willing to help us out, both by volunteering and with donations, for items like this.  We cannot make for a better dog park without your help!      
----------------------------------
Good news on the parking lot and expansion- additional funding to cover the higher than expected low bid has been secured.  The process is now moving forward again, and we can expect to see work beginning sometime around the middle of December.  This was

Hey all,
    Dogtoberfest is going on this Sunday the 19th from 10-4- among the attractions will be our friends the Kansas City Disc Dogs, who will be holding a frisbee contest as well as offering up pointers to turn your dog into a disc dog!  Dogtoberfest is widely regarded as one of the best doggie events all year, and it benefits great causes, including the Lee's Summit and Independence Animal Shelters.  Check it out!
-------------------------------------
SNKC is holding a 'donation drive thru' at their soon to be old facility at 3710 Main this Sunday, too, from 11AM to 3PM.  With the downturn in the economy, their Pet Outreach program is getting many pleas from lower income owners struggling to provide basic necessities for their beloved pets.  This is an especially hard time for SNKC, as they are in the process of moving out of their Main St. facility into a temporary location until their new facility on Troost is completed.  As a result, they need cash as opposed to donated items, as they have very limited storage space at the moment.  First 200 folks donating will get a goodie bag and a coupon for a free cup of coffee from the 151st St. Starbucks.  Please consider stopping by and dropping a few bucks off- it will mean a full tummy, some nice warm hay, or some other essential for a pup in need.
-------------------------------------
As previously mentioned, the bids for the parking lot and expansion came in high.  Parks and Rec is presently trying to secure additional funding to cover the difference.  Once that is done, there is still a fairly drawn out process to go through which could take up to two months before work starts.  We are doing all we can to help P&R get the work done ASAP, and will keep you updated.
------------------------------------
DIG is working out an arrangement to purchase new mulch for the park (and nice mulch, too, not city mulch) which P&R has offered to pick up and deliver.  We will be looking for folks to help spread it, stay tuned!
 
See you at the park!DogtoberfestKCDDSNKC