Sac City is building more than a dog park — it’s creating a new stop‑off destination for families, travelers and their four‑legged friends.
The Sac City Bark Park is officially underway after a groundbreaking last week, marking a major milestone in a project that began with a simple idea from two local dog lovers.
Sac City resident Barb Rench and her boyfriend, Albert Hauser, first brought the concept forward after realizing their own three miniature dachshunds — Poppy, Piper and Tillie — didn’t have a large, safe place to run. Rench says the idea grew from their travels.
The city agreed, donating a piece of land on South 16th Street, across from the elementary school between Kids World and Brookridge Apartments. From there, the project expanded into a three‑phase plan.
Phase One — the most expensive — is the installation of a 6‑foot‑tall perimeter fence separating large‑ and small‑dog areas. The city will also bore water lines to the site and provide labor for the project.
Rench says construction is already moving, with fence poles being installed this week.
Concrete will be poured beneath the fence to prevent digging and make mowing easier. Once the fence is complete, the park will be open for use even as additional phases continue.
Phase Two will add amenities such as benches, picnic tables, waste stations, covered trash cans and a community bulletin board.
Phase Three will focus on agility equipment, something Rench says is important for both physical and mental exercise.
Fundraising has been steady. The project secured a $25,000 grant to cover the fence, along with personal donations, smaller grants and a series of community events — including walk‑a‑thons, “PAW‑sta” dinners, silent auctions and food‑vendor nights. The Bark Park team also created a sponsorship and memorial wall, where donors can purchase plaques honoring pets or supporters.
One of the most popular fundraisers has been Sac City’s election of an honorary dog mayor, which has drawn strong community participation. Rench says the winning dog, Presley, has become a local ambassador.
Rench says community support has been overwhelming.
She believes the Bark Park will fill a real need in Sac City, where many residents currently take their dogs to the fairgrounds or even the cemetery to run.
And for Rench, the groundbreaking was a moment of pride — a chance to see an idea she championed finally taking shape. She says the event made her very emotional.
The Bark Park team expects the full project — all three phases — to take about three years, but the fenced area will be ready for public use once construction wraps up.
