At Cosmo Dog Park, buy a brick to honor dog and help create shade

• Gilbert is selling personalized bricks for %2450-%24100
• Town hopes to raise %246%2C000 to build shade structure
• Park named in honor of Gilbert's first police dog

Gilbert is reintroducing its honor-brick program at Cosmo Dog Park to raise $6,000 by June 1 to construct a much-needed shade structure near the beach area of the park.

Residents can purchase a personalized, engraved brick to be installed at the park, in memory of a dog. The bricks are priced from $50 to $150.

"We have had requests for shade, especially in the active beach area. There's not much covering over there; actually there's none," said Melanie Dykstra, during a recent meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Library Services Advisory Board.

Cosmo Dog Park's brick program was initiated when the park opened in 2006. The 17-acre park near Santan Freeway and Ray Road itself is named in honor of Cosmo, the first police dog to serve with the Gilbert Police Department.

Cosmo was a German shepherd from Holland. He came to the Gilbert Police Department in 1993, and assisted in numerous drug busts and arrests until retiring in 1999. The dog died at age 11 in 2002.

The bricks were originally placed on walkways, but have since been moved because tree growth in the area caused roots to pop up some of the bricks and cause a safety hazard.

The bricks have been moved to a spot near the basketball courts.

"It was kind of the spot that we had available that had the right kind of ground," said Dykstra, adding that the new space is larger and can accommodate more bricks.

The town will be able to achieve its goal of funding the 20- by 20-foot shade structure if it sells about 150 bricks.

"I think it's a very achievable goal for us to be able to do this," Dykstra said.

Other matters:

• The parks board is reviewing Gilbert's dog-park rules with attention to rules regarding children in the park. Currently, "children running or chasing after dogs is prohibited" at the town's two dog parks, Cosmo and Crossroads. Besides being dog parks, the parks also are open to families and provide sports courts, ramadas and green areas for walking.

The board is working to update the rules to include a rule similar to Tempe's, where "children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult."

Memorialize your dog

Gilbert is reintroducing its honor-brick program at Cosmo Dog Park. Personalized, engraved bricks are available for purchase.

The laser-engraved, epoxy-filled bricks are available in two sizes and four formats.

• 4- by 8-inch brick without clip art, up to 20 spaces, three lines; $50.

• 4- by 8-inch brick with clip art, up to 15 spaces, three lines; $75.

• 8- by 8-inch corporate brick without clip art/logo, up to 20 spaces, six lines; $100.

• 8- by 8-inch corporate brick with clip art or logo, up to 20 spaces, five lines; $150.

To order: polarengraving.com/CosmoDogPark