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Fairfield grad to build dog park for Girl Scout project

Holly Wolfe of Fairfield, 17, is a graduate of Fairfield High School and will attend Ohio State University in the fall to become a veterinarian. She hopes to earn the Gold Award, the Girl Scouts' highest honor, when she completes her project to build a dog park at Shafer's Run Park in Fairfield Twp. Staff photo by Samantha Grier

Samantha Grier Holly Wolfe of Fairfield, 17, is a graduate of Fairfield High School and will attend Ohio State University in the fall to become a veterinarian. She hopes to earn the Gold Award, the Girl Scouts' highest honor, when she completes her project to build a dog park at Shafer's Run Park in Fairfield Twp. Staff photo by Samantha Grier

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By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer Updated 7:54 PM Sunday, July 11, 2010

FAIRFIELD TWP. — Since Holly Wolfe was 5 or 6 years old, she wanted to be a veterinarian, and has always loved animals.

And the 17-year-old college-bound Fairfield graduate wants to help the four-legged friends of the community before she starts the animal science program at the Ohio State University this fall. She plans to build one-acre dog park at Shaffer’s Run Park off Vonnie Vale Court for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, the equivalent to an Eagle Scout project for Boy Scouts. She’s with Troop 599.

“The goal for Girl Scouts is to do something that you’re interested in and you want to help the community with,” said Wolfe, who works at Companion Care Animal Hospital on Ohio 4 in Fairfield. “This was close to me and the community wanted it, and I wanted to do it.”

Fairfield Twp. Trustee Terry Scharnhorst said residents told him they wanted a dog park during his election campaign in 2007.

“What she’s doing with the dog park is real nice,” said Scharnhorst, who’s two daughters were Girl Scouts and wife was a Girl Scout leader. “Dog parks are becoming more and more common and it’s something we really need.”

Wolfe and her crew will start later this month, and she hopes to be finished by mid-August. The idea came about 18 months ago after Wolfe’s mom, Donna, attended a township meeting where they talked about a dog park.

Wolfe, a Fairfield resident, said she’s waited for he official approval for about a year.

Wolfe doesn’t exactly know why she’s drawn to animals and wanted to become a veterinarian, but she’s wanted to go to Ohio State since she was a freshman.

After Wolfe graduates from the animal science program, she plans to apply for the school’s veterinarian school, a four-year program.

“They have the best vet medical program around this area,” she said.

Wolfe said she wanted to be able to do more with the park, but with a limited amount of time and resources the park will be pretty basic. However, she said it will provide an opportunity for other Girl Scouts to earn Gold Awards. Other amenities could include adding an agility course, landscaping or dividing the park to segregate small and large dogs.

“It’s going to be a part of the project for people to enjoy, and hopefully they will,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com. Follow at twitter.com/mdpitman.

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