Binghamton, New York Named One of Ten ‘Bark for Your Park’ Grant Winners

To say that it is a big day for Broome County would be a bit of an understatement. Our community just won a dog park. Literally!

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PetSafe® brand has announced the names of ten communities that will receive a Bark for Your Park™ grant award and Binghamton is one of the winning towns. 

To celebrate the 10th year of Bark for Your Park, a grant program that gives communities the money they need to build or upgrade an off-leash dog park, PetSafe vowed to award grants totaling $150,000 to ten communities in 2021.

In May of this year, entries were submitted by communities all around the United States, and from those entries, only thirty finalist communities were selected to participate in a contest that relied on community votes. The finalists were selected based on the level of "enthusiasm and support for a dog park project within the community" and the people of Broome County stepped up in a big way to help Binghamton become one of the ten finalists. 

The voting period for Bark in Your Park ran from August 3, 2021, to August 31, 2021, and according to PetSafe, more than 62,000 people placed votes for their community to win a grant but only ten of the thirty would come out victorious. Not only was Otsiningo Park in Binghamton one of the ten winning parks, but it is also one of the five parks that that will receive $25,000 to build a brand new dog park.  

In a press release from the office of Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Elizabeth Woidt, Director of Broome County Parks, Recreation, and Youth Services said, "Nearly 40% of households in Broome County have at least one dog." She then stated, "...we are thrilled for this project that will add a new fun and safe atmosphere for dogs to run and play off-leash.”