Dog owners in St. Stephen will soon have a place for their furry companions to run around.

The community’s first off-leash dog park is being built at the Elm Street Nature Park.

Fundraising for the $50,000 project has been underway for 18 months, led by the St. Stephen Dog Club and the municipality.

Their efforts received a welcome boost recently pet supplies store Pet Valu donated $20,000.

With construction well underway, officials are now looking for a creative and memorable name for the dog park.

A naming contest was launched by the municipality earlier this week and will run until July 28.

“We, and so many dog lovers in St. Stephen and Charlotte County, have been dreaming about this park for years,” said Kev Sumner, director of community services for the municipality.

“Now that the fencing is being installed and construction is underway, we are focused on finding a name that captures what the park provides and why it is so special.”

You must complete the official entry form, which can be found by clicking here, and submit it to events@chocolatetown.ca.

Officials said suggested names should be innovative, appropriate and recognizable. Each participant can enter the contest up to three times.