Dogs may finally get their park if one little detail can be worked out — how to pay for it.

Municipal staff will take until at least February before finalizing plans and indentifying possible financing to construct the dog park on the northeast corner of Woodward Park at Woodward Avenue and Bridewell Avenue under stately sycamore trees.

Three of the members of the Manteca Parks and Recreation Commission — Chairman Marco Galeazzi, Jennifer Andermahr, and Dave Breitenbucher — on Tuesday resumed the discussion about the installation of a large dog park as part of the city’s development of Woodward Park.

The biggest task is finding the money in the budget to put up the necessary fences for a dog park, which will include separate areas for larger and smaller dogs.

In February the commission will once again revisit the issue to take a look at some hard numbers to determine their financial options.

The inclusion of the dog park has been part of the Woodward Park Master Plan for several years. Commission members felt that is far too long for a project to be delayed.

The idea for a dog park in Manteca was first floated at a City Council meeting in 2001 by Park West neighborhood resident Karen Grupe. A year later, dog park enthusiasts formed the Manteca Dog Owners Group (DOGs) to start working with the city to find a location for a dog park as well as to build it. By 2003, the first proposed location was identified — a grassy area immediately north of the Parks and Recreation office at the Civic Center.

Dog lovers have started pushing for progress on a dog park in Manteca. They have suggested various possible locations although the city has officially adopted a location at Woodward Park.

The Woodward Park site requires fencing, a tap for drinking for dogs — and humans — as well as benches and dog scoop stations. The commission in their master plan adopted in the summer of 2007 tossed in a large shade structure to bring the total cost for a dog park to $250,261.

The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. For more information, or to obtain a copy of the  agenda, visit the City of Manteca’s web site at www.ci.manteca.ca.us , or call 239-8470.