Becky Stoffer

An abandoned lot in Seaside got a facelift last year when Becky Stoffer, along with a dedicated group of fellow dog-lovers, transformed the corner of Noche Buena and Kimball Avenue.

Pacchetti Dog Park opened in April thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District and months of hard work. It’s hard to tell from outside the chainlink fence on the street, but the 1.7-acre property is dotted with picnic tables under mature oak trees where dog owners gather, enjoying a community haven for pups and their humans.

Stoffer has already worked through some maintenance challenges. A fresh layer of gravel was delivered and spread, but small pieces of glass were transported along with the load, leaving some dog owners worried about pierced paws.

Stoffer, a lifelong dog lover, has welcomed eight pooches, from German shepherds to smaller mixed breeds, into her life. Now 65, her current canine companion is Shilo, a boisterous 8-year-old female German shepherd, who suffers from diabetes.

Stoffer says Shilo gave her inspiration to create the park – even if Shilo’s primary activities there are barking and sniffing other dogs, not running.

After a career as a firefighter and emergency medical technician, Stoffer considers this dog park one of her greatest achievements. She spoke with the Weekly about how she made it happen.

Weekly: Tell me about your dog, Shilo. What are the benefits and challenges you face as her owner?

Becky Stoffer: I rescued Shilo five years ago when she was 3. She is a sweet dog, but the biggest challenge with her was that she never socialized with people or dogs. When I started taking her to the dog park, I would take her for five minutes at a time. Then she started trusting dogs more than people, so to me it was important to keep her around dogs.

Is that one of the reasons why you wanted to create this dog park?

I do credit dog parks for helping Shilo learn to socialize. But the reason why I wanted this park was because it was such a beautiful piece of property, and because dog parks [create] a community. We are bonded together by our love for dogs. I’ve made so many friends at the dog park. I think a dog park is one of the best things for a community.

What would you recommend to someone who wants to create a dog park?

You have to find a group of people and keep everyone motivated to help collect the money and help the idea move forward. The challenge is motivating them to work toward a common goal. Initially we had 25 people, but then some fell away. Now, I have a pretty good [committed] group of about 10 and a committee of 15, and we also have other people who want to keep up with information about park news.

How do you envision this place in five years? Are there any other improvements you want to make?

Our grant covers cement for the walkway and woodchips [as ground cover]. I think the walkway is going to take up a lot of the $20,000 grant. I would like to see [more of] the ground covered.

Ultimately, I would like to have a memorial for people’s dogs, maybe have a little memorial garden. Shilo came from an abusive background and is so big; she has less time than more time now, and I want a spot where I can come visit her and have it always be her park.

With an annual fee now required to bring your dog to the Del Rey Oaks dog park, how do you keep this park in Seaside free?

We have a donation box in the front and we are going to have two annual events a year for fundraisers. People love to dress up their dogs, I’ve found, so we decided we would have a spring fashion show for the harvest festival.

Were any city officials instrumental in helping you achieve your goal?

[Seaside City Councilman] Dave Pacheco came and still comes all the time – without a dog. He was always very helpful in the process. So we surprised him and gave him an invisible dog. It’s a leash with a collar at the bottom and it looks like you are walking a dog, but there’s nothing there. So we said, hey Dave, here’s Buster and a poop bag.