As we trudge our way though the cold and snow of Winter and into Spring, we would like to send some warm wishes to express our appreciation to some of the people and organizations who have very generously supported the Horner Park Dog Park. Their support has raised funds to assist with the next phase of improvements to the Horner Park Dog Park (currently in progress), including a paved entryway, water feature, and fencing for a small dog area within the dog park. We greatly appreciate all those who generously contributed to and helped to support the dog park and would like to highlight a few of them to express our gratitude.
In 2020, the Chicago Association of REALTORS® generously provided the Horner Park Dog Friendly Area Committee with a community project/placemaking grant to help support Phase 2 construction of the dog park. The mission of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® is to unite all facets of the industry as a leading advocate for real estate, driving REALTOR® business success and economic development of our communities. This grant to the dog park was guided by their vision statement:
Through the efforts of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®,
members have expanded market opportunities, and businesses,
both large and small are thriving and committed to the revitalization
of Chicagoland communities as healthy, vibrant and diverse places to
live, work and play.
We would also like to thank the office of 12th District Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen, who graciously helped connect the Chicago Association of REALTORS® with the Horner Park Dog Friendly Area Committee. When describing why she suggested that the dog park would be a worthy recipient of this grant, Commissioner Degnen stated, “Who doesn’t love dogs?! As a dog owner, I felt connected to this project and wanted to offer as much support as possible. The County has limited resources, so I wanted to let as many people as possible know about this project and the great things your organization is doing to create the Horner Park Dog Park. It was the least I could do to make connections and try to assist in making this a reality.”
Commissioner Degnen’s family includes an eight-year-old Golden Retriever named Taggart and a soon-to-arrive 11-week-old Golden Retriever puppy named Leo. She describes Taggart as “the best boy ever and huge and fluffy.” She notes that Taggart eats “everything except he hates green lettuce and spits it out,” and enjoys going on hikes but dislikes getting burrs in his fur. Commissioner Degnen supports the dog park because, “The Horner Park Dog Park is a great community space for pets and owners alike. It will be state of the art once it is finished and be an invaluable outdoor resource for all residents and dogs in the neighborhood and City. Living in a City does not always allow our dogs to run around, play and enjoy an open space and it is great to have this park available.” She states that she thinks the best thing about the park is “the amount of room available for the dogs to run around and play,” and that she looks forward to the installation of the water feature as part of the Phase 2 construction. Commissioner Degnen also reports looking forward to introducing new puppy Leo to the dog park in the future.
The Horner Park Dog Friendly Area Committee is grateful to the Chicago Association of REALTORS® for their generous contribution to the dog park and to Commissioner Degnen’s office for their support, which helps us move forward with improvements to the dog park. Community partnerships such as these are greatly appreciated, and they help to continue to make the dog park a vital place to gather in the community.
Horner Park Dog Park 