LUDLOW, Vt. – The Ludlow Dog Park grand opening was held Tuesday, Aug. 3 under sunny skies. The project was the brainchild of former Ludlow Recreation Committee Chair Sue Pollender and took about 18 months to get to fruition.
The park was undertaken in conjunction with Fletcher Farms Foundation, who was represented by two Board members at the initial opening: Chair George Thomson and Sharon Bixby.
The town had originally looked at several other possible locations, but the fields at Fletcher Farms provides good level ground, plenty of space for the fencing layout, high visibility, easy access, and plenty of parking. A newly formed Dog Park Committee, led by Sue Pollender, will be working with Ludlow Recreation Director Nick Miele to continue to grow and maintain the park, including agility features, climbing steps, benches, and more.
The project cost approximately $25,000 and was funded through a public and private partnership of sources including grants and donations via a GoFundMe page, grants from the Vermont Community Foundation, Ben and Jerry’s Community Grants, and the Ludlow Rotary. The town of Ludlow taxpayers generously contributed approximately half of the cost through the town budget.
Special thanks were given to Sue Pollender for pushing the idea to its conclusion, Justin Hyjek who lead the fundraising and donations efforts, and Nick Miele and Kevin MacPherson from the town of Ludlow. Also, many thanks to the Ludlow Recreation Committee whose members include Marissa Selleck, Joe Gurdak, Jeannie Stasz, Scott Baitz, and former member Patti Rumrill.