Montville — A fundraising effort to pay for a dog park at Camp Oakdale has produced more than $13,000 in contributions, and may soon be complete, its organizer says.

Chris Lawton, an Oakdale resident, first approached the town about building an area just for dogs a decade ago after his dog, Kacey, died, and has spearheaded a town committee charged with raising money and developing plans for the park in recent years.

After some initial resistance from town officials, the Parks and Recreation Commission created the committee in 2013 and made Lawton the chair.

Multiple fundraisers and thousands of dollars in donations later, Lawton says the committee is close to being able to pay to level the ground in a half-acre plot near the Camp Oakdale tennis courts, and fill it in with mulch or grass.

"With the amount that we have deposited, and some cash, we're going to be just under $13,000," he said.

Lawton initially set the fundraising goal at $25,000, but is planning to solicit donations from a local company for labor and materials to build a fence around the park, he said.

The main goal is just to get the park established," he said.

The Town Council approved plans for a dog park in 2014, and the committee agreed to develop the plan without using town funds. Lawton and the other committee members organized raffles, a cruise giveaway and a tag sale to raise money.

Parks and Recreation Director Peter Bushway said last year that a dog park would provide the first area in town where residents can let their dogs off their leashes.

The committee is planning another fundraiser next month and still is accepting donations via its GoFundMe online account and at the Town Hall.

m.shanahan@theday.com