Kennel Club to unveil puppies statue in Rock River Park

The Kennel Club of Fort Atkinson (KCFA) has completed work on its latest community service project, “Puppy Serenade,” located at Rock River Park.  

The completed bronze statue will be unveiled Tuesday, June 15, at 1:30 p.m. in Rock River Park near the entrance to the disk golf area. 

The public is invited to attend the ceremony. 

The project features a bronze statue by local sculptor Mark Dziewior; a tri-purpose (human/canine/bottle filling) fountain; and a combination bench/pedestal by local artisan Bob Muench of Stonecroft Masonry. 

The project honors the three founding members of the KCFA—Patty Beran, Marleen LaPlant and Rita Hasel — and their dogs.

This park-enhancing project was sponsored by Kennel Club funds, a grant of $8,050 from the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation and donations from the community. 

An initial “reveal” of the project (including a clay model of the bronze statue) was held in October 2020. At that time, the Kennel Club honored all the artisans who had worked on the project.

In 1992, KCFA founders Beran, LaPlant and Hasel started meeting to train and compete with their respective dogs: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever “Cody,” Dalmatian “Dottee” and Scottish Terrier “Scarlett.”  Soon, word spread, and others asked to join them in their training sessions, resulting in the organization of the Kennel Club of Fort Atkinson.  

Having celebrated the club’s 25^th anniversary in 2017, the KCFA offers puppy kindergarten and several levels of companion, obedience and performance classes. Through the years, the KCFA has served a large number of Fort Atkinson-area families and their canine companions.

The Kennel Club of Fort Atkinson is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offering community service, education, and training classes.  Visit www.kcfadogs.org and the club’s Facebook page for more information.