About the Chelmsford Dog Association

The Chelmsford Dog Association is a non-profit organization made up of residents from Chelmsford and surrounding towns, organized to help promote, build, and support the maintenance of the off-leash dog park in town as well as to promote responsible pet ownership and educate local pet owners.

Membership in the CDA is not required to use the Chelmsford Dog Park or to attend most CDA events.

However, by joining the CDA, your membership fee will go to support our mission to maintain the park as well as sponsor educational presentations, community outreach and provide other support for local dog owners.

Join the CDA

Download, print, fill out and mail (or email) the CDA Membership Application to us, along with your membership dues.

Membership forms can be mailed to
Chelmsford Dog Association
PO Box 491
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
or handed to one of the board members at a CDA event or meeting.

We need your support!

The Chelmsford Dog Park costs approximately $12,000 a year to maintain, and is maintained by volunteers! We need your help to keep the park going.

Policies & Committees

The standard legal stuff that any official organization needs.

Volunteering

If you are interested in helping us put on an event, then please contact the Membership & Volunteers Committee and they’ll work with you to match you up with things you can do and things that we need done.

Our Sponsors

Many individuals and businesses have made significant donations of money, structures, services, or equipment at the Chelmsford Dog Park.

Our Mission

The Chelmsford Dog Association supports responsible dog ownership by providing a venue for recreation, exercise, socialization and education for dogs and owners in the community

We promote and support:

Proper exercise and socialization of dogs to ensure psychologically and physically healthy dogs; leading to beneficial relationships with their families, neighbors and the community.
Availability of legal, off-leash recreational areas for dogs to properly exercise in a safe and clean environment.
Education and informational resources for dog owners and the community to encourage acceptable dog behavior.
The rights and interests of dog owners and fostering the dog owner community.
The health, welfare and humane treatment of dogs.

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History of the CDA

The Chelmsford Dog Association (CDA) was organized in 2009 by several Chelmsford residents.
The primary goal of the CDA, when formed, was to promote responsible dog ownership, educate dog owners (and others) and spearhead the construction of an off-leash dog park in Chelmsford, MA.

The Chelmsford Dog Association (CDA) was organized in 2009 by several Chelmsford residents.

The primary goal of the CDA, when formed, was to promote responsible dog ownership, educate dog owners (and others) and spearhead the construction of an off-leash dog park in Chelmsford, MA.

In 2012, the CDA officially formed as a non-profit corporation and received IRS approval as a 501(c)(3) charitable community organization in 2013.

Although the membership remained small, the core members and board of directors ran fund-raisers, met with town officials, found an acceptable site and won a grant from the Stanton Foundation to build the park.

The agreement with the town was that park would be granted use of the land (2 acres) on the grounds of a former DPW site but that the CDA would maintain the park.

In 2015 construction started and, in June of 2016, the park was opened.

The CDA continued to maintain the park solely through volunteer efforts and donations from CDA members and other park goers.

In December 2019, the CDA decided to split the organization in order to separate the tasks of their charter. The CDA was to remains dedicated to supporting local dog owners in all ways, including community outreach and education while the Friends of the Chelmsford Dog Park (FCDP) was to take on the role to work with the Town of Chelmsford (through the Town’s Dog Park Advisory Committee (DPAC)) for maintenance and development of the park itself.

For 2020, the CDA focused on the second half of their charter: Supporting and educating dog owners and will be doing Comunity outreach and holding seminars on various dog-related topics. However, as of May 31, 2021,t he FCDP decided to dissolve and, after discussion with the DPAC, handed the responsibility for the maintenance of the Chelmford Dog Park back to the CDA.

Category: About the CDA