Polk County Board of Supervisors approves $5,000 Grant Funding the Bondurant Dog Park

Dog Park

Annually Polk County offers Community Betterment Grant Program for a variety of projects that help enhance the quality of life and meet the needs of residents within the County. Bondurant is pleased to announce the City was selected for a Community Betterment Grant for the Bondurant Dog Park. The 2013 Park, Trail, and Greenway Master Plan identifies the need for a community dog park, as no such amenity currently exists in Bondurant. This dog park will help promote an active lifestyle by accommodating a park amenity along a regional trail. Implementation of this dog park project will look to use and beautify an underutilized portion of the existing Lake Petocka area. The additional funding for the Bondurant Dog Park thanks to the Polk County Board of Supervisors will aid in the installation of the fencing, installation of the water service, installation of the dog park amenities and sign, and installation of landscaping.

In 2019, community members joined forces to form a Dog Park Committee to fundraise for a dog park. First, the volunteer group collaborated with the local school district to involve the students in designing a Bondurant Dog Park Committee logo to begin awareness. Then they hosted several initiatives to raise money. The Bondurant Dog Park Committee has raised more than $10,000 in private donations. Bondurant was also selected for the State of Iowa Rural Innovation Grant for the Bondurant Dog Park. 

The City of Bondurant will partner with the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District through its industrial shop class and art class. They will design and construct the dog park amenities to create a vibrant community gathering plan. Involving area youth will help create a sense of hometown pride among Bondurant’s young people. In addition, the design and construction skills learned by the students could help inspire future civic engagement opportunities or career choices.

Once all dog park components have been completed, the Bondurant Dog Park Committee will help organize a ribbon-cutting event by June 2023. The City of Bondurant is grateful to Polk County for this grant and thanks to the Dog Park Committee for doing such an outstanding job in fundraising to move this project forward.