Many dog-owners in Natick have likely heard about or are involved in Fun Informed Dog Owners (FIDO), a Natick group with a mission to create a dog park in town. Though FIDO’s year-in-review does not include the ribbon-cutting ceremony the group has been longing for, members have worked continuously to raise awareness and serve the community while achieving their goals.
Park Awaiting Approval
In 2014, the Natick Board of Selectmen approved an area at one end of Middlesex Path for use as a dog park. The goal was to enable a total of 37,000 square feet of space for dogs to exercise off-leash, as well as a parking lot, to be built between Route 135 and the railroad tracks that travel along the south edge of Lake Cochituate. Town officials later discovered that the Conservation Commission owns the land and must make the final decision about plans before any construction takes place.
“The Conservation Commission will be presented with a formal design plan and will be part of the design iterations,” Melissa Cusson, co-founder and vice president of FIDO, explained. “If and when the design meets the commission’s requirements, a build and operational timeline will be developed.” The current estimation for the park’s opening is sometime in 2017.
Since FIDO’s creation in 2013, its founding members have aimed to be active throughout the community in many ways beyond building the park. The waiting period for the commission’s response has not slowed FIDO’s momentum, and group members have stayed busy through fundraising, service activities and other efforts.
A Busy 2015
A prominent effort has been a team of volunteers called the Poop Patrol. They met on many weekend mornings last year, scouring common spaces and throwing away any improperly disposed dog waste. The team noticed that their actions yielded a lasting improvement.
“During the spring and summer months, Poop Patrol organized public cleanups, and quickly found that each trip to the same location yielded fewer and fewer culprits,” Cusson recalled. “We also give single-roll dispensers out free at most of FIDO’s events.”
FIDO also held their first “Canine Costume Contest” this Halloween, inviting online users to submit photos of their most creative dog costumes. The winner received a custom collar complete with a ribbon bearing FIDO’s logo from Cody’s Creations, a Natick pet accessories store.
Besides FIDO’s own events, the group makes a priority of participating in town-wide gatherings. “FIDO remained committed to community involvement and outreach again this year by participating in the 4th of July Parade, Natick Days, the Farmers Market and by joining Keep Natick Beautiful cleanup days,” Cusson said.
What’s New for FIDO
Now, FIDO wants to add teaching to their roster. The group has promoted educational events through other organizations, including FramBARK in Framingham and The Dog Mall in Carver, and is aiming to host their own in 2017. “It is our goal to develop a series of recurring training and veterinary panels to engage and educate the community,” Cusson said.
To learn more about FIDO or to donate online, visit ww.fidoofnatick.com. For updates on FIDO’s activities during the new year and to get involved, join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/fidoofnatick where updates, event notifications and group activities are posted.
Issue Date:
January, 2017
Article Body: