GALT, CA (MPG) - Every dog has its day and now so does every dog park. On Oct. 12, Kiwanis Club of Galt and the city of Galt held a grand reopening of the Kiwanis Bark Parks at Monterey Park, renovated with the help of a donation from Kiwanis.

Volunteers from Kiwanis and Galt Sunrise Rotary, along with city staff and local dog owners, gathered at the dog parks off of Twin Cities Road for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Many dogs were wearing Halloween costumes. The park gates were unlocked, allowing the excited canines to rediscover the two parks, one for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs. The grass was green and brand-new obstacle course equipment dotted the lawn.

Afterward, Kiwanis held a dog show, where dogs competed in categories such as best costume, best personality, best talent and best owner lookalike.

Galt Police Department Officers Michael Little and Jared Spinelli demonstrated the skills of K-9 units Kane and Rex.

The renovation was kickstarted by Galt resident Sheri Jasso, who regularly brings her dogs to the park. She noticed that some of the dog park equipment “was starting to get run down and it was actually becoming maybe a hazard for the dogs.”

Jasso and her husband brought the matter to Kiwanis, which partnered with the city to refresh the parks. Kiwanis donated $10,000, and the city contributed $30,000 from the Measure Q sales tax.

The money funded replacement equipment, new drinking fountains, a reseeded lawn and tree trimming.

“Everything got cleaned up. It looks so good now and the dogs are super, super happy,” Jasso said. “And I know our dog is really excited to be back in the park, running through the obstacle courses and having a good time.”

Kiwanis’ commitment to the renovation convinced Jasso to become a member.

Galt Parks and Recreation Director Armando Solis thanked Kiwanis for its donation and said the city’s maintenance staff had done well in the renovation work.

“This park’s over 25 years old, so the equipment had done its job, lived its life, and now it was just time to replace it,” Solis said. “This is our only dog park in the city of Galt and you know what? It’s beautiful. It’s great. It serves our community and I’m glad we were able to get it back open and all the new equipment in it.”

Jasso said Kiwanis is “committed to making the community great” through projects that provide useful amenities.

“Kiwanis is all about community, providing things for the community, and there are so many dog owners in Galt, and they (Kiwanis) wanted to provide a nice, safe space for dogs to be able to run around. … This is a great place where dogs can socialize with each other, the dog parents can socialize with each other,” Jasso said.