Buchanan residents will soon have a place to take their furry friends out to play.

On Monday evening, the city of Buchanan gave the green light to a committee to open a dog park in an abandoned ball field not far from the high school. The dog park, to be known as Buchanan Field of Dreams Dog Park, has plans to be open in the spring of 2018, with separate areas for large and small dogs.

For Rich Low, a member of the committee that has been lobbying for the dog park, the city’s approval has been a decade in the making.

Ten years ago, Low adopted a flat-coated retriever named Keegan. A high energy dog, Keegan needed an outdoor space to exercise and release his energy.

“We were going to a dog park in Elkhart, and we were enjoying it, but it was about a 45-minute drive from home,” Low said. “I just got the notion, ‘why can’t we have one in my home town?’”

A Niles resident, Low started a Facebook campaign and garnered support from the Niles community to open a dog park there. However, when no suitable properties were available, Low turned to the city of Buchanan to open his dream dog park. That was seven years ago.

“I noticed Buchanan had [a dog park] in their five-year plan, so I approached them,” Low said. “We’ve been searching ever since. We’ve had several properties come up that just really weren’t suitable. … But then we can across this abandoned ball field, and the city approved that.”

Lowe said that he and the dog park committee feels the dog park was worth the long wait, because they believe the park is essential to the Buchanan community.

“[A dog park] brings people together. It gives dogs a chance to exercise and mingle with other dogs,” Low said. “It’s better for a dog’s overall behavior to be put in situations they would be exposed to in a dog park.”

When the park opens in the spring, it will be a simply dog park without too many amenities, Low said. However, the dog park committee has big plans for the space, hoping to eventually add features they have seen in other dog parks, including a water park/splash area, grooming areas and bathing areas.

“We are going to see what kind of money we can raise and what the community wants and let that direct us,” Lowe said. “The possibilities are endless. There’s nothing set in stone. We are going to see where this goes.”

While Low said he is excited to have finally received the green light to open a dog park, his victory is bittersweet.

Low’s dog Keegan that initially inspired the idea to open the dog park passed away earlier this year.

“[Keegan] was the best, and he was really why I went on this crusade,” Low said. “It hurts to move forward on this without him.”

Despite his disappointment that Keegan will not be able to enjoy the dog park that he inspired, Low plans to enjoy the park with his two current dogs, Keyni and Nico. Lowe said he hopes that other Buchanan residents and their dogs will enjoy the park, as well.

“I hope the residents receive this well. There are a lot of people backing us, though there are some that have become frustrated that it has taken us so long to get here,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to get where we are at, and I don’t think we’ve lost the support we’ve had from this community.”