Boy Scouts Spruce Up Clayton Dog Park

The continued partnership between Boy Scouts Troop 492 and the Clayton K-9 Coalition is making the experience better for canines and their owners.

Scouts have been completing their projects at the park, the final step before gaining coveted Eagle Scout status.

Johnny James, 15, and Brayden Moore, 14, finished the most recent projects.

Thanks to James, owners will have some shade during the hot summer months. He and his team built a 10-foot high and wide arbor covering a picnic table.

Moore planted six maple trees at the north end of the park and built protective fencing to keep dogs away. Along with the trees, Moore changed the pooper-scooper sign and set it in concrete.

“I’m very proud — both of them are outstanding young men and both seem older than their age,” said Stan Hansen, the Troop 492 Scout committee chairman.

at the park in January, building water stations and planting trees.

“Running an eagle project is much like being a project manager,” Hansen said. “They are in charge of all aspects of the project and take on a lot of responsibility to make sure the right result happens. They solve problems, show other Scouts what to do, make decisions and ensure quality control.”

With the completion of the projects, the Scouts hope to be formally named Eagle Scouts during the Eagle Court of Honor at the Church of Latter-day Saints Alberta Chapel on June 8.

Hansen pointed out that becoming an Eagle Scout is a huge accomplishment, one that only five percent of Boy Scouts attain.

“We have a strong tradition in our Scouting units for earning the Eagle rank,” he said. “We have great parent support and a great group of adult Scout leaders.”

If dogs and their owners are happy about the upgrades to the park, stay tuned — the Boy Scouts might not be done yet.

“After each successful project, we always ask if there is anything more we can do to make the dog park a more inviting place,” Hansen said. “That's how our project ideas come about.”