Stratford Nominated for PetSafe 'Bark for Your Park' Contest

The dogs in Stratford have long dreamed of wide open spaces and a place to call their own. So, Matt DeBernardo nominated Stratford in PetSafe’s 2013 "Bark for Your Park" contest.

 PetSafe, a leading innovator in pet behavior and lifestyle solutions, invited all U.S. communities to participate in the third annual “Bark for Your Park” contest on May 1. One city will be awarded $100,000 to build a local dog park and four other pet passionate finalists will also receive $25,000.

“Residents in Stratford have been patiently waiting for a dog park, while surrounding towns continue to build them. The Stratford Dog Park Action Committee has diligently worked to fundraise for the park, and winning the PetSafe contest would be a huge help! It would definitely put Stratford on the map," said Carissa DeBernardo, resident, and president of the Stratford Dog Park Action Committee.

Now that Stratford has been nominated, we need to find a place for the dog park and gain civic leaders’ support. As they determine the 15 finalists, PetSafe will review the availability of land and civic leaders’ support. Citizens will also be able vote every day to help their city move forward in the contest. These votes will also be counted to pick the finalists. For the best chance to become a finalist, Stratford should excel in all three of these categories.

The 15 finalists will be announced on June 5, when they will be asked to produce a video and continue barking for their park. The finalist city with the most votes will receive $100,000 to build a PetSafe dog park. Three runner-up and the city with the highest percentage of votes to its population will each receive $25,000. Winners will be announced on July 31.

For more information about the PetSafe “Bark for Your Park” contest and ideas on how to get your community involved, visit www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark or check out PetSafe on Facebook.