WACO, Texas — Members of the Waco community are fighting to keep one of their favorite dog parks, H.O.T. Dog Park, open as maintenance and insurance costs have gone up.
H.O.T. Dog Park opened in 2011 and sits on over five acres of private land at 4900 Steinbeck Bend Dr. Though it's on private land, anyone can bring their dogs to enjoy it for free from dawn until dusk.
The park came as a donation from a veterinarian at the Animal Care Center next door. It is entirely run by volunteers and they receive no help from the City of Waco to maintain it.
However, with inflation, costs for maintenance and insurance have gone up, which threatens whether or not the park will stay open.
"Mowing and tree trimming and yellow snake abatement, and you know fixing benches and buying waste bags and all of the things that are required for the park to work," said Michael Wellborn, H.O.T. Dog Park Board President.
Wellborn estimates 200-300 people per month bring their dogs to the H.O.T. Dog Park, often multiple times per month. Wellborn said any help from the community can go a long way.
"If everybody who goes to that park donated $20 a month, then the park wouldn't have any issues," he said. "We will be able to operate and grow and make it even more beautiful than it is."
The board is hoping to raise $5,000 to cover financial needs for the rest of 2023. They set up a GoFundMe, which you can donate to here.