Best Friends helps raise money for local dog park

Dog Park Project Gets Boost from Challenge Grant

The fundraising for a local dog park for Harrison got a boost this week with the announcement of a Challenge Grant from Best Friends Pet Care.

After learning about the project initiated by Harrison Boy Scout RJ Suhre, Best Friends has launched a matching funds initiative to help speed up the campaign. The company will match dollar-for-dollar, the first $1000 donated between now and Thanksgiving, yielding a total of $2000 towards the goal.

The dog park, which will be located downtown near Veteran’s Park, was approved by the Harrison Town Board in late September with the caveat that Suhre must raise all of the needed funds from private donations since municipal monies could not be used. About $8000 will be needed to put up the fence and prepare the property.

After almost a month of solicitation, however, the campaign is less than halfway to the goal. “We really need to get donations in quickly,” say Suhre, who been working on the project since last spring. “The fencing has to be installed before the ground freezes or we won’t be able to open the park by spring.”

Although Suhre is a dog lover himself, he also undertook the dog park initiative as his Eagle Scout project. The park must open to the public before Suhre turns 18 in March for him to earn the Eagle Scout award.

Best Friends manager Crissy Carpanzano, who has been in Harrison for 15 years, says that when RJ stopped into Best Friends to drop off some flyers about his fund drive, “we all become very excited that Harrison dogs could finally have its own off-leash park. Exercise and socialization are so important for the health of our dogs.”

“We knew right away that we needed to do something to help, and we needed to do it quickly,” she said.

To get the fundraising challenge off the ground, Best Friends has sent out an appeal to all of its Harrison clients, encouraging them to support the cause. “We set Thanksgiving as our challenge deadline because we want to be sure the RJ is able to meet the deadline for Eagle Scout certification.”

To participate in the Best Friends Challenge Grant, visit or call Best Friends at 590 Harrison Road in Harrison, 914-967-1721. Donations can be made by phone, using a credit card.“You don’t need to be a client of ours to participate in the Challenge Grant. We will match every dollar donated, regardless of the source,” adds Carpanzano. “So call us soon, and whatever you donate will double in value!”

For more information about the dog park, contact RJ Suhre at 914-469-9089.