Stratford Dog Park Campaign Prepares for Council

Resident Carissa Mason will soon present to Stratford town officials a petition that supports within the town’s borders.

Mason’s campaign has already garnered more than 500 people in support of a place for the pups.

A booth set up at the recent held at Paradise Green collected the signatures of 285 Stratford residents, Mason said. And in the virtual world, an online petition on a website called change.org has the John Hancocks of 275.

Now Mason is trying to get those who signed the online petition to sign the written one so that she can present the latter to the Town Council, possibly at its .

Mason said she anticipates a welcome response from the Council.

“There are a few members from town that are supporting this like Rachel Solveira, our animal control officer, and , our Town Council member,” Mason said. “They have been incredibly helpful and I think the concept is really catching on.”

Fuller (D-6) said though the would-be dog park is still in the “very infant stages in terms of town policy,” he supports the movement, as does five or six of his Council colleagues.

The councilman said he likes the idea of a nonprofit agency managing the finances of the potential dog park. That way it eases the burden on the taxpayer, he said, adding that the town would come into play by leasing out the land, which would require Town Council approval.

As for a location, Mason said people have suggested , and the area behind the new animal shelter, which Mason said was an idea she received from someone on the town’s zoning commission.

“I imagine the next Council elected in will address it straight on,” Fuller said. “It has to be introduced to the Council before we can act on anything. We could see Council activity as early as December.”

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