Hidden among more than 100 South Coast vendors, shelters, and humane societies, the Dartmouth Dog Advisory Work Group (DDAWG) held a table to fundraise for a future dog park.

Surrounded by their target crowd of both two- and four-legged friends at New Bedford’s 17th Annual Pet Fest and Walk for Animals on Sunday, DDAWG’s members collected donations, sold tickets to their Coastal Vineyards wine-tasting fundraiser, and informed visitors about their mission.

The dog park’s progress has been slowed because it isn’t as simple as creating an open lot, said DDAWG committee member Diane Camacho. The future location at 443 Old Fall River Road is beside wetlands and design plans have to accommodate the surrounding terrain. Additionally, the facility must be equipped with water and electricity, which are costly to install and maintain.

However, DDAWG will soon move on to the next step—rounding up volunteers to clear the area. The organization must wait the per usual four-to-eight weeks for nonprofit insurance to be approved since applying on April 20. Then, they can prove liability coverage to the town and begin clearing brush and debris, marking trees, and preparing to clear them out in the fall once all the foliage has fallen.

“No one wants to cut down a green tree,” Camacho said.

Until then, the organization is focused on raising money to cover the park’s operational costs.

After receiving nonprofit status in 2010, DDAWG president Rick Oliveira applied for an American Kennel Club plan to ensure “things would be done in a correct fashion” to minimize backtracking and missteps in the process.

The group secured a grant from the Stanton Foundation to help fund the construction of the park. However, progress slowed due to construction specifications required by the foundation.

“We hit a few more roadblocks along the way, but the goal has always been the same, to build a dog park,” Camacho said. Currently, Dartmouth has no dog park, and town law forbids dogs in public parks.

The Department of Parks and Recreation has applied for a state PARC grant for further funding.

“It’s all going to fall into place,” Camacho said.

For more information on DDAWG, visit their Facebook page.