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New Brooklyn Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Service, ProspectBArk! To Host Meet ‘n Greet in Sunset Park on Tues, 3/16

Only ten months old, Brooklyn’s newest pet care business is branching out into Sunset Park, the pinnacle of Brooklyn, and will be on hand in the park on Tuesday, March 16^th, to meet all the local dogs and their owners. They will be handing out information about their dog walking and pet-sitting services to residents, as well as free coffee, donuts and organic, home-made biscuits (human-grade, but for the dogs!)

Started in May 2009, ProspectBArk! sets itself apart from the competition in many ways.  Each of their walkers is fully licensed, bonded and insured, and live in the neighborhoods in which they work. Adam Brown, a Sunset Park resident, currently walks dogs in and around the area. The company also offers pet photography, an informative and useful blog, and hosts Doggie Daytrips out of the city for dogs and their owners.

ProspectBArk! is a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, a regular supporter of the ASPCA and the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, and a contributing member of PETA. In addition, the TeamBArk people volunteer their extra time caring for animals at several local shelters, dog kennels, and on a few farms upstate.

They’ve certainly earned a reputation for their compassionate attitude.  Amy Shui, one of the company’s Greenpoint walkers, says, “I like that we give individual attention to each pet and that we’re don’t pack-walk (a bunch of dogs at a time).  Of course, my favorite part of the job is just getting to spend time with happy pets!”

ProspectBArk! Meet ‘N Greet in Sunset Park, Tues. March 16^th, 8a – 9:30am

As some of you might be aware, there was once a really chatty Yahoo! Group, a few years back, for SP dog owners, but it’s gone a bit the way of the dodo and in the interest of really kick-starting some of the momentum we have after the Public Hearing, I’ve started up a Google Group and I’m asking every single interested dog owner to JOIN right there on the left, where it says “CLICK TO JOIN”.

We have a lot to talk about – what do we want from the Parks Department? What’s important to us as owners? What do we need to do to get it? I think everyone left that Public Hearing feeling like there was SO much more we could accomplish if we rolled all our energies towards one goal, and the first step is to start a dialogue and plan a few pow-wows!

So PLEASE join the Google Group – I’ll definitely keep updating the blog with information, ideas, and cool photos but I think the day-to-day planning and dialogue should happen in our Group and if you’re not there, you’ll miss a chance to make your opinions and ideas heard!

1. Come to our PLANNING SESSION! To remind you, it’s
Tuesday, June 2
7PM
642 52nd St., between 6th and 7th Aves, GROUND FLOOR

At the meeting we’ll talk about our strategies for more canvassing, discuss the needs of SPDOG going forward, and plan how to successfully campaign at the PUBLIC HEARING on June 10!

2. I want your dogs! Well, not for real, but I really want pictures of our local dogs, to add to the shiny new SUNSET BARKERS page. I’ve added mine, and Nina’s, and now I need yours. Have adorable dog pictures? Of course you do. Send them to me, via email, and tell me a little about them – where you got them, what their names are, what’s so awesome about them – and I’ll post it on the Sunset Barkers page!

That’s all, folks. Come to the planning meeting (shoot us an email or leave a comment and let us know you’ll be there) and send me your DOGS!

The Parks Department-proposed run is an excellent parcel of land in an excellent location; we’re lucky to have such a supportive District Manager! They really thought through where to put it.

The run would be located along the southern wall of the Recreation Center, and curving around the fence of the pool.  It’s a huge piece of  land, with a few trees along its border for shade and trees along the pool fence as well. Since it’s not on the edge of the park, it’s less of a jump risk or a noise complaint problem, and it’ll be subdivided into a smaller dog run and a larger dog run. They’ll be installing secure box doors, as well. All told it’s at least 2000 square feet of awesome dog-dedicated space! INCREDIBLE!

Here’s what it’d look like:

Isn’t that great? It’s a nice piece of land and we, SPDOG, are going to take great care of it – think of all the neighbors you’ll meet, sitting on a bench watching your dogs have tons of fun in a safe, leash-free environment!

Dog runs have proven time and again to be excellent sources of community and education; they make their parks safer and help foster responsible dog ownership! Plus, dogs love them.

We’re really looking forward to showing the Parks Committee and the Community Board how dedicated we are to this great addition to Sunset Park; we think the neighbors deserve it and our dogs do, too. We can’t do it without you! If you’re a dog owner, now’s the time to let us know you’re here and get involved! So Email us – tell us about your dog, why you want a run, and what you’d be willing to do to help.

At the meeting we’ll talk about our strategies for more canvassing, discuss the needs of SPDOG going forward, and plan how to successfully campaign at the PUBLIC HEARING on June 10!

We’ll also have chips, drinks, and just get to know each other – SPDOG is for every dog owner in Sunset Park!

Are you PASSIONATE about the dog run? EMAIL US and we can send you flyers and information to put up in your building or pass on to your dog-owner friends! The more we get the word out, the more support we’ll have at our Public Hearing from fellow dog owners and lovers!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2009
6:30 PM
4201 4th Avenue at 42nd Street!

This public hearing is for the Parks Committee to vote on the proposed Dog Run, and pass their recommendation on to the full Community Board 7. We are so excited for this opportunity and we know there are dozens upon dozens of dog owners in our neighborhood who agree! We want your support, your signatures, and your involvement!

Get in touch with us via email (sunsetbark@gmail.com) or leave a comment on this site – we can’t wait to hear from you, and we’re looking forward to seeing you at the meeting, ready to voice your enthusiasm for a wonderful run!

Keep your eye on this site – we’ll be posting new updates, information about the proposed run and its benefits, and more information about our group!

1) Giving dogs their own place to play means they’re less likely to disturb other users of the park;

2) Adequate off-leash play and exercise helps make dogs better neighbors. A dog that gets plenty of exercise is less likely to bark incessantly or jump on people;

3) Dog runs bring people together, create a sense of community, and provide a forum for dog owners to share information that can help foster more responsible pet ownership. That in turn makes dog owners better neighbors;

4) Encouraging dog owners and their dogs to use the parks regularly (as dog runs do) helps deter crime in and around parks.

Sign our petition if you want a dog run in Sunset Park! We’re working hard on it and we hope you’ll join us.

So say hello in the comments, tell us what you love about our neighborhood and our park, and add us to your RSS feed readers! We’re glad to be here.