Story continues below
SAC CITY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — Sac City will be electing a dog as an honorary mayor to help raise funds for a new dog park.
“I firmly believe if it can’t be fun, it shouldn’t be done,” Barbara Rench, team captain of the Bark Park, said.
According to the Sac City ordinance code, dogs are not allowed to run without a leash.
“People that do let their dogs run freely are kind of taking a chance with that. We’re hoping this is a safe place for dogs to run freely,” said Sac City Parks and Recreation Board Member, Curtis Bloes.
And that’s when the team captain of Bark Park, Barbara Rench, got the idea from a friend to elect a dog for mayor to help raise funds for a park.
“Somebody suggested we have a dog for mayor. Honorary. Of course. And so we did some research on it. And decided it would be fun and would be a positive deal,” said Rench.
After Rench teamed up with the city to secure the plot of land, they started offering various ways for people to donate. The funds needed to build the dog park are around $32,000, but the current total is $16,000. Rench said that once the funds are secured, the park will have everything dogs and humans need, such as water fountains, fences to separate small and larger dogs, trees, benches, waste stations, and a sponsorship memorial wall.
“We’re doing it in phases,” Rench said. “Phase one is the fence, and we’re getting closer. We have several grants out there now, we’re waiting to hear about. So hopefully we’re getting closer.”
For your furry friend to be nominated and have a chance at this role, there are a few ground rules to follow.
“The dogs have to be caught up on their vaccinations,” Rench said. “We need a picture and we need a short essay about why you think your dog would be a ‘pawsitive’ influence in our community.”
And, if elected, what will the honorary mayor of Sac City do for the residents?
“The dog can go to the school and visit the children and school,” said Rench. “They can go to ribbon cuttings, they can be in parades, they can go visit people anywhere, the nursing homes, just kind of be out there in the community.”
“And as a mayor, I’m hoping once he gets elected in, then anybody that has a bark with the city could be directed to the new bark mayor,” said Sac City Mayor Scott Bundt.
October 16 was the final day to nominate your furry friend for mayor. Voting will take place from October 26 to November 4. While the inauguration date has not yet been determined, the selection of the dog mayor will take place on November 5.