ROYAL CITY — Nine-year-old Kristi Jenks is working on a project to give Royal City something she thinks it needs.

“I would like to see a dog park in Royal City. I think my dog would, too,” she told Royal City City Council members at the July 12 meeting.

Not only did she make her request to the council, Kristi and her mom, Heather Jenks, are working with city officials on a grant to help build it.

Kristi said she got the idea while she was watching a television show.

“They were building a dog park for this little community. And I thought, ‘We need a dog park,’” she said.

A lot of Royal City residents walk their dogs on the Royal School District campus, or the dogs just gravitate there. Dog owners don’t always clean up after their animals, and a dog park would help with that problem, Kristi said.

But it’s one thing to identify a problem, and another to come up with a plan to address it. In Kristi’s case, it started with a conversation.

“My neighbor is Tiffany (Workinger), and she is a city council member,” Kristi said. “I told her my idea about a dog park, and she (said), ‘Yeah, we do need a dog park.’”

Kristi followed that up with a conversation with Royal City Mayor Kent Anderson. Not only did Anderson think it was a good idea, he said the city owned some property that might make a perfect location.

That was when Kristi started working on the dog park in earnest, Heather Jenks said.

“It seemed like it could be a reality, and that got her excited, and that’s when she said, ‘I really want to do this, Mom. I really want to do this,’” Heather Jenks said.

Kristi started searching online, looking for components of a good dog park.

“I think a good dog park needs some toys. I think they need to separate big dogs and little dogs,” she said. “A double gated entrance. And a drinking fountain for dogs that they can just put their paws on, and it automatically comes on. The owners don’t have to bring water. Also, maybe a positive sign of rules, instead of ‘Don’t do this, don’t do this,’” Kristi said.

A good dog park also needs benches, where owners can sit, she said.

She has put some thought into good dog park toys.

“My favorite toy that I saw (online) is this mountain of tires that they can climb up,” she said.

Dogs need barriers to jump over, tubes they can run through, rings they can jump through, she said. One of her favorites was a series of steps dogs can climb.

She has a plan, and a potential site, but development of the park will cost money. She’s been thinking about financing, too.

The first option is a $35,000 grant from T-Mobile, targeted at development projects in small communities, which would be awarded to the city.

“She delegated the grant to me,” Heather Jenks said.

City employees are working with her on the application, she said.

But if she doesn’t get the grant, there are alternatives. The project would be scaled back, and Kristi’s planning to raise money.

Her goal is about $11,000 without the grant, and Kristi has a list of fundraising ideas, ranging from business sponsorships and an online fundraising page to a pet parade and a 5-kilometer doggy fun run.

Kristi said she’s not sure how long the project will take, but she’s not giving up, grant or no grant. If she doesn’t get the grant, she plans to get help upcycling materials into dog toys.

“We do have some volunteers lined up,” Heather Jenks said. “Some of her friends and their families have volunteered to help, as well.”

The dog who helped start the dog park is a Maltese named Silver.

“Our first dog,” Heather Jenks said.

And ironically, Heather and Justin Jenks didn’t really want a dog. They had kids, the family was busy and they liked to travel. But Kristi is the youngest and Heather Jenks said about two years ago, she started thinking about the future, and the day when it was just mom, dad and Kristi.

“It probably would be good for her to have a friend,” Heather Jenks said she remembered thinking.

There was a catch – Justin Jenks still didn’t want a dog. So Heather started shopping for a dog, keeping the search to herself.

“I looked – secretly – for about a year,” she said.

She let other family members in on the secret, storing dog supplies away from home. Heather Jenks knew what she wanted, a small dog, but not a puppy. A friend suggested she look for a retired breeding dog.

The perfect dog was found in northern Idaho, and Silver’s owner agreed to meet Heather and some of the family – not dad – while on an outing at Silverwood.

Heather Jenks said she did call Justin on the way home, just to let him know. He thought she was joking until the next morning.

“He was quite surprised,” she said.

But now Silver is just part of the family. And part of a project.

Kristi said she never thought the project was too big or too much. She knows she can do it, she said.