Hampton Lake's Dog Paddle Park Opening Helps Raise $8,600 for Sheriff Department K-9 Unit
July 1 2008

Hampton Lake, the first private lake community in the Hilton Head Island/ Bluffton, SC area, raised more than $8,600 at its Dog Paddle Park Dedication and Pet Expo on March 15 to help purchase a new patrol dog for the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department K-9 Unit.

The imaginative event showcased one of the first private parks in South Carolina specifically dedicated to dogs, and provided enough funds to add a new dog for the K-9 unit replacing a senior dog that will retire this spring after 10 years of service.

"We had a great day. We had a superb turnout and we are very excited to be able to provide Beaufort County with a new patrol dog," said Gerrit Albert, Hampton Lake's president. "We've been getting a lot of great feedback from the attendees at the event who visited from throughout the region, including both Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry. This event was a perfect opportunity for Hampton Lake to welcome the public to our community while at the same time supporting a very worthy cause."

In addition to the dedication of Dog Paddle Park, a Pet Expo with more than 20 vendors featuring local and regional providers of pet-related products and services attracted several hundred attendees. The Expo also included a variety of demonstrations by hunting dogs and small agility dogs as well as two performances by Jacksonville's Disc-Connected K-9's "World-Famous Frisbee Dogs."

Four local adoption agencies were on-hand to participate in the events. By the day's end, 13 dogs and puppies were adopted and went home with their new proud owners.

"The event was splendid and the venue was beautiful," said Amy Campanini, executive director for Palmetto Animal League. "All of our volunteers had a wonderful time. A great day is any day a dog gets adopted!"

In addition to attending the Pet Expo, visitors were invited to explore the 900-acre Hampton Lake community, tour more than 20 model homes, and enjoy Lakeside Village which recently was honored with the 2007 "Best in America Living Award" by the National Association of Homebuilders and Professional Builder Magazine.

Officials at the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department said the new patrol dog being purchased is an $8,600 Belgian Malinois, trained in Europe and the United States.

Hampton Lake - Hampton Lake is a private lake community in Bluffton, S.C., comprising more than 900 acres. The community is a Reed Development Company project with 165-acres of freshwater lake and 340-acres of natural wetlands. Built around the concept of connecting family and nature in a fun way, Hampton Lake offers open spaces, nature preserves, activity centers, pools, beaches, dining, and parks, all uniquely intertwined and interconnected. Hampton Lake and Fraser Construction Company of Bluffton were honored with the 24th Annual "Best in American Living Award" (BALA) for the community's Lakeside Village. For more information, call 843.836.LAKE.