By David Benoit
Special to the Reporter

A certain call of the wild has been ringing out in Dorchester recently, from dogs and dog owners alike. They want a new space to roam free of the law of the leash, free from the dangers of the city streets. They want a dog park, and they need help.

Dorchester resident Paige Davis and her activist group RoDogRun have been asking for a dog park in one corner of Ronan Park for over a year, and with a recent grant from the city they are one step closer to achieving their goal. But, they still have quite a bit of money to raise and are looking for additional support.

The group was recently awarded a $10,000 Small Changes Grant, but a designer from the Parks Department estimates that the cost of realizing their vision for the park will be closer to $30,000. That difference is starting to look a little overwhelming for the dog-loving group.

"We've been working on this for a year and a half, and we kind of feel like we have exhausted a lot of fund raising techniques," says Davis. "We can do the little things, but parties and bake sales are not going to bring in $20,000 so we are kind of at a loss for how to raise the rest of the money."

Don't think the group is giving up just yet. The grant from the city is part of a program started by the mayor's office with the money from the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Boston 2004 Inc. brought $1 million to the city's coffers, and Mayor Thomas Menino created the Small Changes Grant program to distribute that money in small grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 for community beautification programs or ideas. It is a four-year program currently in its third year of operation.

RoDogRun applied last year for a grant but did not receive one. This year Davis said they originally asked for a less significant improvement like a pet way station, where the money could go to items such a doggie bags or trash receptacles. But parks department officials who had been working with the group sent the application right back and told them to apply for the dog park again.

"Of course they are very familiar with our group and seemed very supportive. We had established a relationship with them, so they knew what we were going to be doing," Davis said. "The parks department came out and looked at the site and said it would be a great place."

In Ronan Park, the space would be near the intersection of Juliet and Linden Street, a parcel of the park that Davis says is currently overgrown and neglected. The plan would include covering it with gravel or crushed stone &endash; something to promote good drainage and minimize mud &endash; and install fences to encircle the area so the dogs could be off-leash. The group would be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the area after its completion, which Davis says the group might contract out to a private company. She says there are additional benefits, not just for dog owners, but for the city and the community as well.

"Dog parks help make communities," she says of the dog owners who would meet and socialize there. "And also [the parks] help reduce crime because the dog owners are out there walking their dogs. They are a visible."

In order to get this done, RoDogRun and Davis need some help from the community, and they will take it in any form they can get.

"We have this grant money that expires in June of next year. We basically have one year and we can't even go and have a hearing at the parks department until we have all the money," she says. RoDogRun is seeking donations of money or building materials, or even of volunteer time. "Everybody is excited about it and everybody wants it. It would just be a shame if it didn't happen at this point because we have put so much work into it."

If you would like to donate to the construction of the dog park, visit the group's website rodogrun.org or e-mail Paige Davis at paige@rodogrun.org.