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Atticus and Gracie need a place to play, a place to romp and run freely.

But setting up a play date for the duo is not so simple -- Atticus and Gracie are Labrador retrievers.

Roanoker Lauren Ellerman, who owns the dogs, is part of a group that approached city officials recommending the installation of a fence to enclose the half-acre dog park at Fishburn Park.

"Mine are not voice-trained dogs," she said. "They could never go to an open field and run."

Ellerman said the fence would cost more than $10,000, and she would like to solicit corporate sponsors to help pay for the project.

The group behind the effort is NewVa Connects, an organization of young professionals in and around the Roanoke Valley.

NewVa Connects would like to raise $30,000 to fence in a full acre at the park off Brambleton Avenue Southwest and to add other amenities, such as benches, water fountains (for people and pooches) and trash receptacles, Ellerman said.

Because the project is in the early planning stages, it is unclear what or how much the city's contribution will be, said Gary Hegner, the city's superintendent of parks.

A survey identified a public dog park, similar to those found in Greensboro, N.C., Richmond and other urban locales, to be in demand among NewVa Connects' members.

"We have been big advocates of the dog park," said Dean Browell, who handles public relations for the group.

In March, the city opened a parcel within Fishburn Park where dogs could run off-leash. The dog park was to operate for six months on a trial basis.

Ellerman said city parks and recreation officials have indicated to her there are plans to continue operation of the park and would like NewVa Connects to help raise the money for the project.

"We are going with a fenced dog park," Hegner said. "We think that is what everybody wanted from the beginning."

Before paying thousands of dollars to fence the area, city officials wanted to be sure the park would be used. The unfenced area was not used enough, Hegner said, prompting the city to pursue the installation of a fence.

"It is all up to the city," Ellerman said. "We are only in the recommendation phase right now."

Another recommendation NewVa Connects made was to charge a membership fee, such as $5 to $10 a month, to offset maintenance costs.

A private 12-acre park, Six Wags Dog Park, which opened this summer in Salem charges $199 to $299 for annual memberships, according to the company's Web site.

At Fishburn Park, the city has the ultimate say in setting the fees, not NewVa Connects, Ellerman said.

NewVa Connects has "no right to charge money for people to use city property," she added.

The need for a dog park was brought to the city's attention by Nate Jones and a community organization, Roanoke Dog Owners Group, who began lobbying for a public dog park more than two years ago.

"This was a need that was already there," Browell said.

NewVa Connects took over the cause, and the group is prepared to head up the fundraising if the city gives a green light to the project.

"Our goal long term is to have more than one dog park," Ellerman said.