Soon-to-be Eagle Scout Cooper Otis is enjoying the dog park he helped set up in Hopkinton, and so is his rescue dog, Brenna.
Otis worked on the small dog park in his hometown last winter as his final Eagle Scout service project, and just last weekend, he added the finishing touch: a large wooden sign thanking his donors for making the project possible.
“I wanted to put up the sign to thank the people who donated to my GoFundMe page and who let my fundraising boxes be put in their businesses,” Otis said.
All of his donors are listed on the sign, which he spent six hours installing last Friday. He also brought Brenna with him for a walk around the park, where he saw several residents — some with two legs, and some with four legs — enjoying the park he worked on, as well as a larger dog park, spearheaded by Paws on Pine dog boarding and the town recreation department.
Jill Crane, from Paws on Pine, and town officials gave Otis advice for his project, and combined the two parks offered a new place for dogs and their owners to get together.
“I wanted to make a place for dog owners to socialize,” he said. “Since there are so many of them in Hopkinton, I thought it would be a great idea.”
Otis said he hopes all his hard work will earn him the honor of Eagle Scout, which only 5 percent of scouts receive, according to the National Eagle Scout Association. He must present his project to the Eagle Scout Council for their approval next week, the final test before he receives his Eagle Scout badge.
“I wanted to be an Eagle Scout because I knew the values that they had, and the values that that rank and symbol represent,” Otis said.
What will he do once he receives this honor?
“My next big goal is the United States Military Academy,” he said.
Otis said he hopes to pursue a life of service and leadership that goes far beyond the his dog park efforts. But he says that his Eagle Scout project has been a good stepping stone along the way.
“Being an Eagle Scout is going to enrich my life and all the experiences I have,” he said.