Brechin celebrated National Mutt Day in an appropriate way Wednesday.
Community members gathered at the dog park in the Ramara Township village, where a dog statue was unveiled.
The plaque acknowledges Tallulah Bankshead as the donor. Tallulah is Yvonne Banks’s dog.
“We just wanted to do something for the park,” Banks said. “I’ve been here my whole life and I wanted to give back to the community. I’m a dog lover, so it made sense.”
The community stepped up in a big way to make the small statue a reality. It was created by Brechin Artifacts, which covered some of the cost; Brechin Timber Mart donated the concrete for the base, which was created by Wayne Sharpe; and the plaque was created by Joe Watt Trophy and Engraving, of Orillia.
“It’s so cute,” Charlotte Baker said of the statue.
Baker was one of the driving forces behind the dog park — the only one in the township — which was created about four years ago.
“It’s amazing how far it’s come,” she said. “It was really in demand.”
At the time, Baker was a member of the Brechin Community Centre board, which led the charge for the dog park. The board and its volunteers still look after the maintenance of the park on Ramara Road 47.
At first, it was simply a fenced area where dogs could roam off-leash. Volunteers eventually added a message board and a bench.
“The community pulled together for all this stuff after the fact,” Baker said.
