CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A tragic pet drowning on North Padre Island over Spring Break has residents making a community-wide effort to bring changes to the canals.
The beloved German Sheppard Mowgli isn't the first, or the only dog to have lost his life in the canals on North Padre Island. But thanks to passionate members of the community, they wanted to make sure his death lead to change.
"Out of this tragedy we are actually doing something to make a difference," said Mowgli's owner Melissa Reed.
Reed joined forces Sierra Bernard, the woman who had the idea of creating affordable floating docks that would help people and pets get out of a canal if they fell in.
The Docks For Dogs project raised over $6,000 since it's initial conception.
"Pulling together the funds and the people willing to put them on their docks. Putting those together has allowed us to make all this happen," she said.
Bernard, who has been spearheading the initiative, said they have managed to raise over $5,000 over the past couple of months to bring their vision to life.
"We had some cemented PVC's, cutting PVC, and all hands on zip ties, because a big part of this is zip ties," she said.
Reed said that there are still strong emotions that come with the initiative -- but appreciates how everyone is coming together.
According to Bernard, there are already 60 canals that have committed to placing the floating docks. Despite the acceptance to change, Bernard said that as the land continued to grow, and projects like the Whitecap Preserve create new canals, help will be needed.
"We will start building them, erecting them, so come summer when you see the yellow docks, you will know it was us," she said.
Bernard spoke at Corpus Christi City Council earlier this month. She pled for help in enforcing a code to where whitecap and any developers making more canals are required to make a pavement safety exit, similar to a concrete jet ski ramp, but smaller at just 2 feet wide.
Bernard said she has earned the support of District 4 Councilmember Dan Suckley along with four other council members.
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