By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ANDERSON TWP. - Dog owners in this eastern Hamilton County township soon might have a place to let their four-legged friends run free.

The Anderson Township Park District, along with a committee of residents and veterinarians, is raising funds to get a four-acre, off-leash area at Kellogg Park up and running.

Park district officials say $12,000 is needed to start the park, with an additional $12,000 needed to purchase amenities such as benches and picnic tables.

The park district has sold about 100 T-shirts touting the proposed park for $15, officials said.

For Melissa and Shawn Wiseman of Anderson Township, a local puppy park would save them the 45 minutes they travel to get to existing dog parks on Cincinnati's west side or in southern Warren County.

They have three dogs: Bailey, a Saint Bernard; Mattie, a German shepherd; and Bandit, a border collie.

The Wisemans moved to Anderson about two years ago. "We knew Anderson was known for its parks, and we decided to contact the park district and ask if they'd thought about starting a dog park," Melissa Wiseman said Wednesday.

She added that Anderson Park District executive director Molly McClure told her the district had the same thought.

The couple joined the district's Dog Park Committee and are working to make the park a reality.

The Kellogg Park site, next to Riverbend, promises to be the largest such park in Greater Cincinnati, officials said.

The Mount Airy Dog Park in Mount Airy Forest is two acres, while Deerfield Township's Dog Run at Schappacher Park is half an acre.

Fliers have been distributed to area pet shops informing residents about the plans for a dog park and how they can mail in donations, added Wiseman.

Dog "parks help with socialization and exercise for dogs. It gives them an outlet to run and play off a leash," she said.

"People like their pets, and they want to give them a good quality of life. (These parks) are just another outlet for that - people can spend time with their pets in an area where they can play."

For more information about the Anderson Township dog park or to learn about contributing, go to www.andersonparks.com or call 474-0003, ext. 5083.