The West End Regional Park will hold its inaugural 5K9 Leisure Run/Walk on May 6 to benefit the new leash-free dog park that is on track to begin construction later this year.

The dog park will be located off Merwine-Hilltop Drive and will be connected to the Dave Fleetwood Memorial Trail by a trailhead. The dog park is included in Phase II of the regional park development plan.Registration for the run/walk will begin at 9 a.m. on May 6 and will take place form 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first 100 registrants will receive a bandanna. The registration fee is $20 and all proceeds will go to the dog park fund.All dogs are welcome to join in but must to leashed, licensed and vaccinated to take part in the walk/run.The West End Regional Park recently received a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources matching grant in the amount of $115,000 for the dog park.The West End Parks and Open Spaces Commission has also made a request for Act 13 funds from Monroe County and is scheduled to receive $60,000 in budgeted funds from Chestnuthill Township.The commission has also put in a request for a $33,000 Local Share Account grant.Previous fundraisers raised $40,000 toward matching the cost of the park.“The park will have three fenced-in areas designed for dogs by size,” said park director Bernie Kozen. “The parks are designed with no 90-degree angles so that more aggressive dogs can’t corner more timid dogs during play.”Kozen also says that in dog parks, waste is usually not a big problem because of the peer pressure among dog owners to get others to keep up after their dogs.Kozen said the run/walk on the day will include community organizations.“We will have animal welfare groups, vendors, door prizes and refreshments as well.”The Chestnuthill Park also received a grant from DCNR this year in the amount of $60,000. The money will be used to resurface the basketball court and the ADA accessible trail at the park.Registration forms are available at the Chestnuthill Park and at the Ross and Chestnuthill Township buildings and at some local businesses for the run/walk and can be filled out in advance by mailing the form along with a check made out to Friends of WEPOSC and mailing it to P.O. Box 276, Saylorsburg, PA 18353. Contact Kozen for additional information at 570-992-9733.