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Read the press release here.

Pups From Sunnyside's Close-Knit Dog Park Featured in New Book

 "S.U.D.S, The Dogs that Brought a Community Together," was published last week, and tells the story of the Sunnyside Dog United Society, a group of neighborhood dog owners who spent more than a decade fighting to get a dog run built at Lou Lodati Park.
Sunnyside Dog Book
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SUNNYSIDE — It's a doggone page-turner.

A group of Sunnyside pet owners have put together a book profiling their beloved dogs and the tight-knit community that's formed around them — hoping it will help them raise funds for their local dog park.

"S.U.D.S, The Dogs that Brought a Community Together," was published last week and tells the story of the Sunnyside United Dog Society, a group of neighborhood dog owners who spent more than a decade fighting to get a dog run built at Lou Lodati Park.

The book includes photos and profiles of 95 dogs who call the park their home away from home, with tales of how the animals were rescued or how they helped their owners through illness or other difficult times, according to S.U.D.S president Rick Duro.

"Each one has its own unique story and we wanted to highlight those," said Duro, whose own mutt, Matilda, is featured in the tome.

"It's really sort of a snapshot of the entire community that's involved with animals in Sunnyside," he said. "It's more than just our dog run — it's all of Sunnyside and how everybody works together."

S.U.D.S. formed in 2001, when dog owners who brought their pets to the park started organizing to clean up the space, which Duro said "was a mess" at the time, with trash and broken bottles strewn around.

They pushed for years to get a dog run built, and after losing their initial batch of city funding during the recession in 2008, they finally got one opened in 2013.

In the years between, S.U.D.S. members got to know each other — and one another's pets — forming close-knit relationships, Duro said.

"People have met through S.U.D.S. and gotten married, had kids," he said. "We have people from all walks of life."

Sunnyside Dogs

The group started putting together the book a few months ago, under the direction of a member who works in publishing.

The finished product is 146 pages and can be purchased on Amazon for $27.44. The plan is to sell copies at local pet stores in Sunnyside, Duro said. Sales will go toward maintaining the Lou Lodati Park dog run, as well as raising money to donate first aid kits for police dogs.

Duro described the book as a way to celebrate the community and "to celebrate all things S.U.D.S."

"We wanted to just show people that hey, it doesn't matter what your cause is," he said. "If you work hard and you do the right thing in your community, then you can make good things happen."