What makes a dog park?

While there is really no one type of dog park, there are rough guidelines for what can become a dog park. We suggest a space that is 1-5 acres, has good drainage, has or can get a 5-6 foot fence, shade trees or space for them to be planted, a well-lit location, a near by parking lot, and a buffer zone, ie hedges, trees or land forms. Even with our suggestions, dog parks come in all shapes and sizes so if you have a unique space you think would work for a park, don’t be scared to apply!



We have a pre-existing park, are we eligible?

Unfortunatley, KNDP is only for the development of new parks in Knox County. Feel free to check out The Boyd Foundation's other program, Dog Park Dash, which does allow pre-existing parks in Tennessee to apply for grants.



Can the money be used to pave parking lots?

Yes. As long as the parking lot is specifically for the dog park and not another area of the park.



Is this a reimbursement grant?

Unfortunately, reimbursement is not a part of the grant program. However, if you happen to spend the funds that you already have by then, you can use the grant for additional enhancements.



Should the proposed project budget and operations budget be submitted with the grant application?

Only the Executive Summary and Land Verification from a city or county official will need to be submitted with the application. The proposed budget is great to be thinking about now because - should you be chosen - you'll need to present it to receive your funds. ​



We have evidence from our register of deeds office that our government owns our dog park land, but it is not necessarily a letter. Would this suffice as evidence of property ownership?

Yes this would suffice as evidence of land ownership if the applicant is the owner of the land.



Who can apply?

Knox Neighborhood Dog Parks is a grant program for neighborhoods within Knox County. KNDP will award 10 grants worth $50,000 each to 5 city applicants and 5 county applicants. In order to apply for the program, the application must be sent in by a governing body (city or county) and include all neccessary items. While the final application pieces can only be submitted by the city or county, neighborhoods can get their application started by submitting a nomination form found at knoxdogparks.com/nominate



What is KNDP?

KNDP stands for Knox Neighborhood Dog Parks. KNDP is a grant program funded by the Boyd Foundation that is giving away 10 grants in Knox County with the purpose of making Knox County the most pet friendly community in America. Grants will be awarded in Summer 2020.



What is The Boyd Foundation?

Randy and Jenny Boyd established The Boyd Foundation in 2018 to support animal welfare and youth education in Tennessee. Randy Boyd is the President of the University of Tennessee, founder of PetSafe® and former commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Jenny Boyd is a Knoxville business owner and philanthropist who is passionate about animal welfare.
In addition to Knox Neighborhood Dog Parks, The Boyd Foundation's Dog Park Dash has awarded 67 grants to communities all across Tennessee since 2018 and will be awarding another 33 in 2021, totaling $3 million in grants statewide.



Frequently Asked Questions