POTSDAM – Potsdam’s new dog park project has made it to the finals of the PetSmart.com “Bark for Your Park” dog park contest and is in the running for the top prize of $100,000.

The 15 finalists were announced Friday and online voting begins again to select a finalist.

People may sign up to “bark for their park” and vote at http://www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark/city/11944/potsdam-ny/?success=1&where=vote or at https://www.facebook.com/PetSafeBrand/app_321086731284099.

The Potsdam park plan, spearheaded by a group of dog lovers led by Deb Massell and Jackson Francisco, was already underway when the group found that there was a contest that they could enter and possibly get some help with the park.

With the entry into the finals, the Potsdam park has a chance of a $100,000 contribution toward its completion, or a chance at one of four $25,000 gifts for parks, on property owned by the Potsdam Humane Society next to its Potsdam Animal Shelter on Madrid Avenue.

“Please help Potsdam, NY, as a representative for the North Country, achieve their dream of having a safe, fenced, shaded park so dogs can run free, wrestle, and smooch with their friends without worrying about getting hit by cars or getting lost, 365 days a year!” wrote Massell in an email after learning of Potsdam’s success in the preliminary round.

Through the end of voting July 31, PetSmart will post a leaderboard of the ranking contenders.

After July 31, the contest will go “dark” until the winning city gets a surprise announcement.

As voting begins for the finalists, each group is asked to produce a video about the support they have from their communities and about their plans.

The finalist city with the most votes will receive $100,000 to build a PetSafe dog park. Three runner-ups and the city with the highest percentage of votes to its population will each receive $25,000. Winners will be announced on Aug. 7.

“And you don't have to send $$$, Just 30 seconds a day of your TIME!!!” Massell said in her email.

People only have to register once, but once signed up, they may cast a vote twice a day for the Potsdam project. People anywhere may vote for Potsdam’s park.