Background

In 2020, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD) unveiled a campus master plan designed to use church-owned land to enhance the spiritual and community use of space in and around the cathedral church.  There was enthusiastic support for a dog park in the area near the church.  It was widely believed that the sort of human camaraderie that takes place while people watch their pets play with neighbor pets will enhance community life and open the church to more engagement in the spirit of Archbishop Vigneron’s 2017 Unleash the Gospel publication.

Neighbor input also highlighted that dog parks have the power to attract new residents to the area — growing the neighborhood and strengthening the community. Some members of the community were nevertheless unsure that a dog park would be a positive force for community building and property values.

Progress

Accepting that a dog park prompts strong feelings in a wide variety of community members, a Community Advisory Committee was formed as a link between the community, the church, and park operators to assure the success of the Dog Park.

The dog park was built at 9840 John R street on land owned by the AOD.  A community partner covers costs of weekly litter receptacle pick-up and insurance.  The Cathedral handles construction and maintenance including lawn care, snow removal if needed, and routine facility maintenance. All users are expected to responsibly use the dog park -- picking up pet poop and other litter to keep the dog park beautiful and hazard-free. Users are also expected to initiate communication with the cathedral and each other to foster awareness and engagement. The park has a water tap for pets; it does not have electricity. 

Purpose & Scope

The purpose of the Dog Park Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is to assure the success of the dog park.  Primarily its actions focus on two key areas: Communication and Oversight.

The CAC has no legal nor financial authority over the dog park.  The dog park entity is a partnership between the Cathedral and an operating partner, Holy Paws LLC via a Use Agreement authorized by the AOD.  Funds to maintain and upgrade the dog park are administered though the 501(c)3 “Art for God’s Sake” non-profit organization which has its own governing board.  More information on Art for God’s Sake can be found here.

Community Advisory Committee Membership

Terms of service to the CAC are two years and will commence as soon as possible. The dog park CAC is comprised of individuals who are committed to the success of the park and who represent the following:

1.     The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament parish

2.     Holy Paws LLC

3.     Homeowner(s)/Property Owner(s) immediately adjacent to the dog park.

4.     Representative of Belmont Block Club as nominated by the Belmont Block Club.

5.     Representative of Gateway Community Organization as nominated by the Gateway Community Organization.

6.     Representative of the East Boston-Arden Park Block Club as nominated by the East Boston-Arden Park Block Club

7.     Representative of the Vanguard Community Development Corporation as nominated by the Vanguard Community Development Corporation.

8.     Representative of the North End Woodward Community Coalition as nominated by the North End Woodward Community Coalition.

9.     Representative of the Chicago Boulevard East Block Club as nominated by the Chicago Boulevard East Block Club.

10.  Detroit Police Neighborhood Policing Officer or their designee

11.  Michigan Humane

12.  At-large member #1  (Human User of the Park)

13.  At-large member #2 (Human User of the Park)

Leadership & Roles

A Chair, Vice Chair, and Recording Secretary will be elected from within the members at the start of each calendar year.  Committee and committee leadership may be formed to focus on specific tasks and issues.

Responsibilities of the Chair:

  • Set the meeting schedule.

  • Create meeting agendas with input from committee members.

  • Start and end meetings on time.

  • Represent the Dog Park and DPCAC when necessary. Examples may be interaction with the Arts for God’s Sake Committee, community events, Cathedral gatherings, etc.

  • Assure community inquiries are responded to swiftly, ideally less than 10 days.

  • Resolve issues identified via the website

Responsibilities of the Vice-Chair:

  • Fulfill the responsibilities of the Chair when the Chair is unable to do so.

  • Help resolve issues that surface through via website or other points of contact

Responsibilities of the Recording Secretary:

  • Take minutes of each meeting

  • Post minutes on the Dog Park Web site.

  • Receive and report on comments and inquiries received via the website.

All leaders are expected to assure timely response to community input and concerns. 

Michigan Humane has offered to provide support and scripting regarding the dog park and routing to their dispatch regarding stray or abandoned dogs.

Meetings

Meetings will be held virtually or in-person every other month.  A poll will be taken at the start of each calendar year to determine the best meeting day and time for most members.  It is hoped there will be an annual meting of the broader community and dog park users – perhaps Open Forums or Open “House” events at which information can be exchanged.

Member Duties

In short, the responsibility of all CAC members is to ensure the success of the dog park. 

This includes:

  • Ensuring health and safety of all human users

  • Ensuring health and safety of the dogs who use the park.

  • Maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the dog park

  • Encouraging the user and non-user embrace of the dog park.

  • Fostering awareness, understanding and engagement of Dog Park purpose and activities.

  • Engaging fellow community members in the success of the dog park and robust participation in the spiritual and social activities connected to the Cathedral and the Dog Park.

  • Fostering a culture of positivity, camaraderie, and community among dog park users, the neighborhoods, and the Cathedral.

  • If it should be necessary to ban a dog or humans from the park, the CAC will be engaged to decide, implement and enforce this penalty.

COMMUNICATION:  The dog park CAC is the primary liaison between the users, the community of non-users and potential users, and the AOD and cathedral. In addition to the general responsibilities of all CAC members, the CAC must implement and foster communication with the Cathedral and with the community.  To this end, this secure Dog Park web site has been established and will be monitored and updated no less than quarterly.  It will include at least the following information:

  • Purpose and history of the Dog Park

  • A list of members of the CAC

  • Behavior examples and dog behavior Standards

  • A portal for community input, a place to report damage or concerns and questions.

  • A list of upcoming events

  • A list of the dog park rules.

  • Social Media links

  • Photos

  • And other information as deemed appropriate by the CAC.

OVERSIGHT:  It is anticipated that the CAC will also be the body who establishes and enforces the dog park rules.  To this end, the rules (see rules already drafted from community input and best practice analysis of area dog parks) will be affirmed by a vote of the CAC, posted at the Dog park and on the web site and enforced.  From time to time, those who break the rules will need to be barred from use of the dog park to assure the safety, cleanliness and respectful behavior of all who use the park or live in proximity to it.

Other oversight matters include expanding or contracting the composition of the committee if needed and monitoring local and national dog park trends to recommend enhancements or changes to the Cathedral Dog Park. Oversight also includes monitoring of the overall health of the local canine community and recommending closure of the dog park if communicable disease risk is high. 

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES: From time to time, the CAC may be called upon for design input, landscaping advice and assistance and other duties and opportunities that play a role in the success of the dog park.

CAC Members will be asked to make their name on the CAC public, share their contact information with the Chair, Vice Chair and Recording Secretary, and attend meetings.  Absence at a majority of meetings will justify removal from the CAC.

Changes

Updates or changes to this charter document will be presented to the CAC in advance of its next meeting and discussed at the meeting which follows the notification.

Current Members

  • Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (Lead) Mark Garascia

  • Holy Paws LLC Dan Jess

  • Property Owners Immediately Adjacent to Dog Park Evan Fay

  • Stafford House/Belmont Block Club Patricia Dockery

  • Gateway Community Organization Teressa Larkin

  • Arden Park-East Boston Historic District Ernest Little

  • Vanguard Community Development Monica Edmonds

  • North End Woodward Community Coalition Rev. Joan Ross (communication conduit)

  • Chicago Boulevard East Block Club Mary Zatina

  • Detroit Police Department Neighborhood Policing Officer Moore / TBD

  • Michigan Humane Greg Harris

  • Dog Park User TBD

  • Spiritual Advisor and Dog Dad, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral/Art for God’s Sake Fr. J.J. Mech