DIRECTIONS, DONATIONS and CONTACT INFO

Directions to "FIDO's Backyard": From I-79 in Fairmont, West Virginia, use Exit 136. Follow signs to East Marion Park. Proceed into the park and look for Pavilion #5 signs across the parking lot and to the left. Follow that road to the end at the softball field parking lot. On the far left, a road will lead you around and down the hill behind the ball field. You will come to the parking area and the entrance to the dog park.



If you would like to make a donation, please send your check made payable to MCPARC with "FIDO" noted in the memo to MCPARC, 319 Monroe Street, Fairmont, WV, 26554.



Go to http://www.mcparc.com/ for more information about our park as well as other parks and activities available in Marion County, West Virginia. Check out the "virtual tour" of FIDO's Backyard!



If you would like to be added to our FIDO e-mailing list, please send your request to kellyjogarcia@yahoo.com



Welcome to FIDO's Backyard!

Welcome to FIDO's Backyard!

New bench in memory of Shadow - Brett Schrader's senior project

New bench in memory of Shadow - Brett Schrader's senior project

Pathways within the park - Michael Garcia's senior project

Pathways within the park - Michael Garcia's senior project

"FIDO's Backyard" Grand Opening Celebration was held on Sunday, May 30, 2010

"FIDO's Backyard" Grand Opening Celebration was held on Sunday, May 30, 2010
Brewster is seen here posing prior to the Grand Opening

Senior Project Donation

Senior Project Donation
EFHS's Brandon Spicer presents his completed bench to FIDO president, David Garcia

Rendition of FIDO Dog Area at East Marion Park

Rendition of FIDO Dog Area at East Marion Park
By: Bob Moore, Marion County Art Teacher

Wooded Area

Wooded Area
This area is enclosed and ready to check out!

Open Flat Area

Open Flat Area
As of Sept. 2011 - fenced and ready! New pictures soon!

Donation in Memory of "BomBom"

Donation in Memory of "BomBom"

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Next Meeting April 27th

Please plan to attend our next meeting to be held on Monday, April 27th, at 7:00 P.M. We will meet at Pavilion #5 at East Marion Park which is near the dog park site. Leadership Marion is hosting a Cash Bash on May 16th at Westchester Village and half of the proceeds will be going to FIDO, with the other half going to the United Way. Please consider purchasing a ticket - we will have tickets available at the meeting or contact me at kellyjogarcia@yahoo.com.

Hope to see you at the meeting! It should be a nice evening to explore the site as well.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Meeting postponed until April 13th

Due to inclement weather, our next meeting will be held on Monday, April 13th. (Originally scheduled for April 6th). We will begin at 6:30 P.M. with a site walk to see how much progress has been made in clearing the wooded area. The business meeting will follow at 7:00 P.M. at Pavilion #5 which the area closest to the site. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Unique park for dogs By: Mallory Panuska

‘Unique park’ for dogs
FIDO members working to secure funding, clean up areaBy Mallory PanuskaTimes West Virginian
FAIRMONT — Marion County dog owners are getting closer to having a local place to take their furry family members for recreation. Members of the Fairmont Interested Dog Owners (FIDO), a group formed recently to create a dog park in county limits, have secured three to four acres of property at East Marion Park for the endeavor. Members of the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission (MCPARC) also helped the group get this land for the project, which is located behind the softball field at the East Side recreational facility.And now, with spring on the horizon and the weather warming up, FIDO members are making efforts to secure funding and begin cleaning up the area.FIDO frontman David Garcia explained that the park will be shaped like a figure-8 with a mixture of open space and woods. “I think ours is going to be unique in that we have a flat area and a wooded area,” Garcia said. “it’s really going to be a unique park.”Garcia said the group, which is made up of about 20 core members and a total of about 80 others who attend the meetings, borrowed ideas from a dog park in Morgantown.He said the open space will be for the dogs to run around and play fetch and mingle with other dogs, and the wooded space will be for the owners and their pets to walk and hang out in the shade. He said there will be a large portion for big dogs and then a smaller portion dedicated to little dogs so the breeds can be separate. And all around the park there will be signs posted with a set of rules, Garcia said. These rules include making sure the dogs are supervised and under control and also ensuring that if a dog gets out of hand or is not compatible with the other dogs that the owner must apprehend it.Garcia said that he doesn't anticipate too many issues because the park will be neutral territory, and most dogs only get territorial in their own domains.In total, Garcia said the first estimate for the park came in at $21,500, with the main expense being a $16,000 fence that will be put up around the open portion. Last week, Garcia approached the Marion County Commissioners on behalf of FIDO and requested funding help for the fencing. And as dog owners themselves, the commissioners said they were in favor of the concept of creating this type of park.“I’m sold on the whole idea,” Commission President Randy Elliott said. “There are dog owners in this county who go to Morgantown to go to a dog park. It’s a great thing that we don’t have in this county, that now we can have.”Elliott said he and the other two commissioners would look into FIDO’s request and decide what kind of help they can give.Garcia said the group is also hosting an elimination dinner with the United Way on May 16 and is also planning to apply for some other grant funds.In addition to the fencing, Garcia said the group is also looking to purchase signs and benches and also wants to set up a place for the dogs to have fresh water as well as places for waste disposal.If all goes well and the funding comes in, Garcia said he hopes to have the fence up and the park ready for use around June. Garcia said FIDO is planning a work day to clean up some brush and trees at the site in the near future and that anyone who wants to help is encouraged to do so.