Except for the panting, whimpering and occasional bark, the roughly two dozen dogs that filled the Cranberry supervisors meeting last Thursday were well-mannered in their show of support for a park where they can roam without a leash.

"They've been better behaved than some of the people who have attended our meetings,'' joked Supervisor John Milius, a proponent of an off-leash recreation area for dogs.

One of the purposes of the public meeting was to award a contract for the fence for the dog park, which is to to be built in the spring next to Cranberry Community Park on Route 19. But many of the two dozen pet owners and their four-legged companions were there to make sure the plans for dog park weren't sidetracked.

"We heard that there was some opposition to this, and we want to make sure everyone understands that we think this is a good thing, something that's really needed,'' said Natalie Llewellyn, of Adams. She and her husband, Tim, a Cranberry firefighter, have a 7-month Rottweiler/black Labrador retriever puppy named Diesel, and they are yearning for a place to let him run off-leash.

The opposition to which Ms. Lllewellyn referred was from newly seated Supervisor Dave Root, who had questioned whether the dog park should be a priority project for Cranberry. Despite his previous concerns, Mr. Root voted last Thursday with the other four members of the board of supervisors in favor of awarding the fence contract.

Following the meeting, he said he changed his position because he learned that the funding for the project was being subsidized by a $45,000 grant from the Cranberry Township PM Rotary Club and proceeds from fund-raisers sponsored by the Cranberry Township Dog Park Committee. The combined revenues will cover the cost of construction of the park and the 60-space parking lot.

The lowest bid of more than a dozen came from Ford Fencing, of West Deer, for $24,775, about half of what the township thought the cost would be. The parking lot is estimated to cost $22,000. About $20,000 will be set aside for site furnishings. The park will contain benches, shade trees and a water fountain.

The Rotary Club has pledged $45,000, $10,000 of which was presented to the township last week, and township Manager Jerry Andree said the park will be named for the rotary.

The dog park committee raised $21,900.

The township contributed the land for the park and will pay for the construction of an access road.

The road and parking lot for the 2-acre park are to be built as soon as the weather allows. The park will be double-gated and divided into two areas, one for small dogs and one for large dogs.