ABOUT US

Mission Statement

The Purpose of Morgan Hill Dog Owner's Group is to serve as friends of the Morgan Hill Dog Park and help the City to keep it as a community asset where people and their dogs can play together in a safe and friendly environment. Dogs contribute immeasurably to their families quality of life- helping to foster a sense of togetherness for everyone and creating a positive community spirit.

Park Overview

Morgan Hill is located in the southern section of Santa Clara County. Morgan Hill is about 20 miles south of San Jose and 10 miles north of Gilroy. The Morgan Hill Dog Park is the only off leash park in the south county area and as a result is widely used by Morgan Hill residents as well as dog owners from surrounding communities. Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group is widely recognized as the group that "made the dog park happen".

Now that the dog park is built our organization continues to raise funds to support the park and to be visible in the community as models of responsible dog ownership. We are an organization run totally by volunteers and supported by donations from the community. Anyone who is interested in our group and/or would like to get involved may contact us by email. Send us your contact information and, with your permission, we will add you to our email list to receive information and updates.

On our site you will find notices on dog related events, dog needs and services, as well as pertinent information related to the operation of Morgan Hill Dog Park. We also periodically will post items of interest to the dog owners of our community.

History

Morgan Hill has an ordinance which prohibits dogs from being off leash any place in the City. With the tremendous residential growth in Morgan Hill over the past few years the need for an off leash dog park became evident. While MHDOG was searching for a suitable site for the proposed dog park, we were very pleased to have the City offer a section in the southern end of the already existing Community Park on Edmundson Ave. However, the City had no budgeted funds for development of the dog park, so a fund raising project by MHDOG went into high gear.

By working cooperatively with the City, MHDOG was able to bring about this unique public-private funding package which untimately got the dog park built. Our grass roots organization raised funds through various fund raising events as well as generous donations from the community. This support from local citizens became tangible evidence of community interest in and desire for a dog park. As our fund raising drive became very successful, we petitioned to the City to match our funds so that all the amenities desired for the park could be completed in a reasonable time frame. The approval of that petition was the final link to starting construction of the park-- which was just eighteen months from the start of our fund raising campaign! With ground breaking for the dog park in the summer of 2006 four years of dreaming, working, talking to people, and planning finally came to a reality. The Grand Opening of Morgan Hill Dog Park on Jan. 20, 2007 was indeed a happy day for the dog owners of Morgan Hill and especially for the diligent cadre’ of volunteers in Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group.

Our Non-Profit status is made possible under the umbrella of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation.

Group Meetings

Group meetings are generally held quarterly, with the next meeting to be held 3/16 at 7 PM at El Toro Brew Pub. Be a part of our group and we'll give you advanced notice of all events and meetings. Let us know at "Contact Us" link.

Current Officers of MHDOG

• Co-Chair's Jillian Hogarth and Matt Blum
• Vice President Linda Cunningham
• Treasurer Evonne Davenport
• Secretary Pam Stocklmeir

If Your Dog is MISSING or If You Have FOUND a Dog

• Make flyers, with a picture of the dog, if possible, distribute them in key places like Veterinary Hospitals or Clinics, Dog Groomers, Churches, Restaurants, Parks, streets near were the dog was lost.
• San Martin Animal Shelter - (408) 683-4186
  The shelter is located at 12370 Murphy Avenue in San Martin.
  Hours of Operation: Monday 12-6, Tuesday Closed, Wednesday 12-6, Thursday 12-6, Friday 12-6, Saturday 12-6, Sunday 12-5
  http://www.fosmas.org/index.shtml
• If you are looking for your pet in the street, ask everyone walking or running if they have seen your pet and of course, alert your neighbors!
• It is extremely important that you continue to visit your local Shelter daily to search for your dog.

Thank You

We want to say thank you to Marta St. James from Gold Canyon Dog Owners Group in Gold Canyon, Arizona for allowing us to use their website as a spring board in creating our site. Your generosity is so appreciated! Visit their site at http://goldcanyondog.org/. Tax deductible donations in support of our efforts are always welcome as well as volunteers to help with activities and events.