Which way to the Grant Bark Park?

Celebrating its one-year anniversary this summer, the Grant Bark Park was a longtime dream turned reality for South Loop resident Gail Merritt.

Now, if she can only get other dog owners to notice it’s there.

The 18,000-square-foot doggie oasis is tucked just north of the 11th Street pedestrian bridge, between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive, in Grant Park. It features open space dotted with tennis balls for playtime, a tree-lined gravel area where dogs can do their business or just cool off, and a drinking fountain just the right height for the four-legged variety.

Merritt, founder and president of the South Loop Dog Park Action Cooperative (PAC), spent six years working with the Chicago Park District to establish the off-leash dog park.

Motivated by her 6 ½-year-old dog, Chloe, Merritt said she and other volunteers seek to make the South Loop the most dog-friendly community in Chicago.

“We maintain that healthy dogs are happy dogs, and everyone wants happy dogs as a neighbor,” said Merritt.

The only signs letting pedestrians know about the park are posted on the iron gates enclosing the facility.

“Our challenge is to find people to come in with their dogs,” said Merritt.

Since the park opened July 15, 2006, many of the visitors have learned of the park through word of mouth and South Loop Dog PAC’s promotional campaigns. South Loop resident Lisa Niziolek frequents Grant Bark Park with her boxer beagle, Lindy. “We knew about it when we got her and came the first night we brought her home,” she said.

Niziolek, who lives in the same building as Merritt, said she learned about the park from Merritt. Matthew Lopek, superintendent of irrigation of Chicago parks who works in Grant Park, said he didn’t realize the dog park was there for quite some time. “I see a dog every now and then come through, but I didn’t know it was a dog park,” he said.

Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, spokeswoman for the Chicago Park District, said signs have been considered in Grant Park to direct pedestrians to the dog- friendly area, one of 12 in the Chicago park system. However, because money is highly sought after among Chicago’s 570 parks, completion of those signs has not yet occurred, Maxey-Faulkner said. “It’s not something that has required us to spend a lot of money on,” said Maxey-Faulkner.

Instead, the city has focused efforts on informing local interest groups about all 12 of its dog parks through promotional pieces sent out to veterinary offices and neighborhood groups.

“Resources are pretty limited,” said Maxey-Faulkner. This year, the park district’s operating budget totals about $380 million. And, until additional city resources are available, signs will continue to be a hot commodity, she said.

The South Loop Dog P.A.C. has a vested interested in making the Grant Bark Park more visible, not just because the non-profit footed $75,000 of the roughly $290,000 construction costs, but also because the group is fully responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the park estimated at $3,000 a year.

Those funds come through constant fundraising efforts, said Merritt. If South Loop Dog P.A.C. can’t maintain the park on its own, Grant Bark Park would be in jeopardy of closing, said Maxey-Faulkner.

From selling T-shirts and park walkway bricks, to conducting dog washes and silent auctions, the South Loop Dog P.A.C. is always looking for ways to get the word out about the Grant Bark Park and its needs. The group’s e-mail newsletter “Fetch” helps residents stay in tune with current events and issues.

South Loop Dog P.A.C. has several upcoming events, including the Bash on Wabash Sept. 1-2 (sponsored by the Greater South Loop Association), the South Loop Block Party Sept. 8 (sponsored by Dearborn Park Advisory Council) and the P.A.C.’s second annual K9 Karnival Sunday, Sept. 23.