The gathering spot for hundreds of Sun City area dogs is about to get a little safer.

The dog park, on nearly three shaded acres of private land on the southwest corner of Del Webb Boulevard and Thunderbird Boulevard, is being transformed from an open space to a fenced dog park where dogs can run and play freely off-leash.

A decorative fence has already been installed on the east side of the park that borders Del Webb Boulevard, paid for by the park owners Bob and Eva Knight of Sun City.

To enclose the rest of the park, a 4-foot-high chainlink fence with two gated entries is planned for the area that faces Thunderbird. It will cost about $4,000.

"We have had a couple of incidents with dogs wandering out of the park, including mine, who were luckily not injured," said Jean Paul, who is organizing a fence fund-raiser. "A few have wandered into the street and a couple have almost gotten hit. We need the fence so we can contain the dogs."

Donations from dog park users and community members are sought to help fund the project.

Paul said the group has raised about $800 so far, and keeps a running tab of the total raised on a sign nailed to one of the park trees.

About 170 dogs use the park, and even more humans, Paul said. The close-knit group keeps track of its users and plans social gatherings at the park and elsewhere, including potluck picnics.

Chuck Charbourn has been taking his two 12-year-old Bichon Frises, Gigi and Joubert, to the park every day since they were puppies.

He also volunteers to help take care of the 80 trees and bushes and said the park is kept clean and running smoothly by volunteers. Having it fenced in will make it safer for everyone.

"Sun City West and Sun City Grand have dog parks, so we are joining the rest of the world with a fenced park," Charbourn said. "A lot of us have older dogs. But some of the young dogs, you have to be really careful about not (letting them) run into the parking lot."

The park is not only a place for dogs to socialize, but for people to gather every day.

Ursula Beyer visits for an hour each morning and evening to exercise her golden retriever, Toby.

"It's a nice bunch of people, good company," Beyer said, tossing a tennis ball for Toby to retrieve. "It's a great place for dogs to go to socialize, there are no fights, and they play and roll around. The dogs have a ball; it's a wonderful place for them to be."

Having it completely fenced in will attract even more users, she said.

"There are lots of people who would come if it was fenced because it would be safer," Beyer said.

To contribute toward the fence fund-raiser, call Jean Paul at 623-374-2896.

Joy Slagowski may be reached at 623-876-2514, or jslagowski@yourwestvalley.com.