Fred and Polly Swerdlin took a trip to Florida in March 2004, where we discovered several Fenced Off-leash Dog Parks. When we returned to Houston we discovered the organization called the Houston Dog Park Association (HDPA). Two months later we decided to form our own Non-Profit called Bay Area Running K9s (BARK9). Our first meeting for BARK9 was held at the Sylvan Rodriguez Park May 23, 2004 under the pavilion.

We petitioned the City of Houston & Harris County to see if they were interested in providing land in local city or county parks where we would raise the funds privately. However, for the first 4+ years, there had been no interest from either entity. We met with elected officials from Seabrook and Taylor Lake Village without success. We also met with the City of Webster City Manager and made a proposal using their Detention Pond at City Hall which is already fenced, which they rejected.

Working with League City, their parks department had approved a site location and funding for a 4 Acre Dog Park located at 750 Centerpointe at West Walker, across from the city hall complex. However, a later city council meeting vetoed those plans.

In May 2008 Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia held a community meeting stating she would create a Fenced Dog Park at the County Park Kipper Mease Sports Complex; 10700 Red Bluff Road, Pasadena for FY 2009. Then in December 2008, due to complications with the site at Kipper Mease and due to Hurricane IKE, Precinct 2 identified an alternate site to be located at Bay Area Park; 7500 Bay Area Blvd, Pasadena which became the Bay Area Park Dog Park and opened on May 03 2009, consisting of about 5 Acres with segregated areas for large and small dogs.

We are now concentrating our efforts in convincing the City of Houston to create a Dog Park at the 111 Acre Sylvan Rodriguez City Park; 1201 Clear Lake City Blvd consisting of between 10 - 15 Acres. You can assist us in our efforts in visiting the page "Email Campaign" and emailing our City of Houston elected officials asking for a Dog Park in the 2011 time frame when phase 2 of improvements are scheduled for the Sylvan Rodriguez Park. Their plans call for only a 3 acre Dog Park and not until phase 3.

We have a core group of folks who come to most meetings and have elected officials as required by the IRS. Pastor Marcus Otterstad has graciously offered one of the classrooms in his House of Prayer Lutheran Church for our semi-annual meetings. We have offered our commitment to assist in the upkeep of the Bay Area Dog Park and will need volunteers to assist us in our efforts. We will also need to raise some additional funds to possibly add additional amenities or help with upkeep to the park.

Our finances are mostly dependent upon donations, but due to the economy, we are barely making it. We do have some resources that look promising with the Kroger Share Card, Randall's Good Neighbor program and donations through IGIVE. We are always looking for other people to join our group to expand our possibilities of meeting with success.

Updated 29 June 2010