COVINGTON, Ga. – On Friday, Aug. 11, Girl Scout Troop 18012 held a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling their finished Bronze project – the refurbishment of Sandy’s Dog Park at Chimney Park after a fallen tree damaged its fence last year. 

Through their efforts in rebuilding and reopening the dog park, troop co-leader Erin Evans says their ‘girl-led’ approach allowed the girls to take action, while boosting their confidence.

“In so many different avenues, our girls are told what they need to do, how they need to act, what they need to say,” Evans said. “This is a space where girls can decide something and they can work together to achieve it. [The co-leaders are] just kind of the guides and we do everything we can to make it girl-led so they can take ownership of this. I feel like the sooner that girls start taking ownership of things in their lives, the more confident women they’ll become.” 

Troop 18012, consisting of 18 Girl Scouts and 8 juniors eligible to complete the Bronze project, chose Sandy’s Dog Park as their focus after seventh grade member Audrey Gordy pitched the idea.

“I was at the dog park with my family and my two dogs and I noticed that there were a few things that were a bit rundown,” Gordy said. “The grass was a bit tall and there wasn’t really anything for the dogs to play on or play with. Some dog owners don’t really have enough room for their dogs to run around, so fixing up the dog park could give the dog a chance to play with something or and run around.” 

Sandy’s Dog Park opened in (???) to commemorate the legacy of Sandy Elder, an avid dog lover who passed away unexpectedly in 2012. Co-leader Michelle Floyd said Troop 18012 contacted the Elder family, who now lives in Florida, to receive their blessing for the project.

Terry Elder, Sandy’s sister, shared that Sandy was once a Girl Scout and adored any dog, any size and breed. Though they now live in Florida, the Elder family still considers Covington home.

“It is especially meaningful to have Troop 18012’s assistance given the challenges of distance,” Elder said. “How special to have girls who enjoy and love dogs work with their parents, families and friends to provide a clean, fun place for dogs and their owners to enjoy. We are most grateful for their hard work and ingenuity, as are the dogs and owners who frequent Sandy’s Dog Park.”

The troop, which Floyd deemed as “animal lovers,” hit the ground running on the project – researching commonalities found throughout dog parks and visiting the dog park at Turner Lake in order to gain a sense of what they wanted to construct at Sandy’s.

After writing letters to Home Depot, Mayfield Ace Hardware and other home supply stores in Covington, Troop 18012 garnered supplies to rebuild the dog park through donations. 

To spruce up the park – which originally was a fenced in yard with benches – the girls decided to build a ramp out of wood to provide an activity for visiting dogs. Over the course of several meet ups this summer to work on the project, Floyd said the troop learned how to use a variety of tools with adult supervision and practice their carpentry skills.

Once the ramp was constructed, the girls decorated the ramp with paintings, which Audrey Gordy considers one of her favorite parts of the project. 

“I painted paw prints up one of the parts of the ramp,” Gordy said. “We did little miscellaneous things such as drawing bees and butterflies.”

Overall, each junior Girl Scout in Troop 18012 spent 20 hours on the project. Though the construction of the ramp took place at Evans’ parents’ house, Floyd said several trips to the site at Chimney Park were made.

“We went to the park several times,” Floyd said. “Each time we went, we saw different people with dogs there. We met them, got their names and emailed them about our [ribbon cutting]. A couple of people came who we had met at the dog park.”

Throughout the duration of the project, which entailed work sessions in the summer heat, the girls maintained a dedicated and positive attitude to get the job done.

“They were all so into the project, getting it done and just seeing it through to completion,” Evans said. “We had some super hot days, but they [were] all very excited. Some were a little nervous when we started using a nail gun, but all of them were very willing to learn and definitely willing to put in the work, no matter how hard it was or how nervous they were. They did such a good job and I’m just so proud of them.”

For the future of the newly renovated Sandy’s Dog Park at Chimney Park, Girl Scout Lorelei Evans and Gordy hope dogs can enjoy it.

“[I] hope that dogs have even more fun at the dog park,” Evans said.

“I hope that we can add more stuff to it later on and just that it’ll be like the favorite place for dog owners to bring their dogs,” Gordy said.