Teen builds two tennis ball libraries for Rancho Bernardo's dog park

When Ayush Jaiswal visited Rancho Bernardo's Off-Leash Dog Park with his friend and friend's dog, he saw a problem. There were no toys for dogs whose owners bring them to the park without any play items.

The teen — who does not have a dog — decided to take the initiative and do something about it. He's not in an organization, such as Scouts, so he completed the community service project as an individual.

"It is good to leave your mark on the community," Jaiswal said.

After more than a year of work, the RB dog park now has two tennis ball libraries, which provide free balls that dogs can use during playtime.

"I was inspired by my friend's dog," said Jaiswal,14, a freshman at Rancho Bernardo High.

He recalled how in eighth grade at Bernardo Heights Middle School his friend brought his dog along when staying over at Jaiswal's house. When the teens went to the dog park to give the dog some time to run around, they realized they had no balls or other toys for the dog to play with.

"I saw that sometimes when people come to walk their dogs, they forget to bring toys (or) balls for them," Jaiswal said. "I thought if there is a box located right in the park which could provide balls to them it would enhance their experience at the park and give more exercise to dogs.

"Also, pet owners don't have to worry about bringing balls from home. One less thing to worry about," he said.

It took Jaiswal about a year to get the boxes made. He spoke with the Rancho Bernardo Community Recreation Group, which oversees activities in Rancho Bernardo Community Park, and the Rotary Club of Rancho Bernardo. After receiving $431 from the Rotarians, he had the money to begin.

Since Jaiswal had no woodworking experience, he sought the guidance of Chris Wellace, who does handyman work for his family.

"It was interesting," Jaiswal said. "I got to learn how to cut wood. It was not easy to build them. I thought it would just be putting screws into wood."

The two boxes were finished in December, but city staff did not get them installed until last month. One was put by the pen for little dogs, the other along the sidewalk by the kiosk outside pen for large dogs, he said.

Adding ball libraries for dogs — similar to the concept of the Little Free Library that provides free books for people throughout communities — is something Robin Kaufman said she has wanted to see added to the dog park for a few years after seeing a photo of one elsewhere.

Kaufman, the RB rec group's president and the dog park's liaison, said Jaiswal showed "great perseverance" in completing the project.

Dog owners will have the option to keep the balls, so Jaiswal said he will regularly restock the ball libraries with old balls left at the nearby tennis courts, for example. He visits RB Community Park at least weekly to play basketball and walk around.

Mom Sandhya Jaiswal said she and her husband, Sunil Kumar, were surprised when their son told them about his idea.

"When he discussed it with me, I said, ‘You want to make a box for toys for dogs?’" she recalled, adding her son did not show them his presentation before speaking before the Rotarians.

"I was very proud of him," she said of his efforts. "Chris was very helpful. ... It was like a journey. ... Learning a skill is always very helpful."

Because he only spent $245 on materials, Jaiswal said the Rotarians told him he can use the remaining money to complete another project. He said he would like to build at least one ball library for the dog park in Rancho Peñasquitos.

This is not the first time Jaiswal has volunteered in the community. He has also participated in fundraisers for Ekal, an organization that funds a school for children in India. He has sold fruits, such as oranges, during yoga classes held in area parks.