By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Seamus is a big boy at 100 pounds, but he’s not one to throw his weight around.
“He’s very friendly. He loves kids and other dogs. He’s 100 pounds of fluff,” said Bob Clark, who owns Seamus, a fuzzy 4-year-old Sheepadoodle, a cross between the Old English Sheepdog and poodle breeds.
Proving true to Clark’s word, Seamus was on his best behavior Thursday during a ceremonial groundbreaking for Sea Isle City’s nearly $1 million dog park that will give canines an amenity-filled playground when completed in 2024.
Joining their owners at the ceremony, Seamus and a handful of other dogs were the unofficial guests of honor as Mayor Leonard Desiderio and other dignitaries shoveled some sand to symbolically start construction on the project.
“The dogs are the MVPs today. This is their day. Let’s hear it for the dogs,” Desiderio exhorted the crowd while drawing laughs at the ceremony.
Knowing that many families choose their vacation destination based on its pet-friendly reputation, Sea Isle has been looking to build its first dog park for at about four years.
The $968,000 project will be located along Landis Avenue between Sixth and Eighth streets in the northern end of town. The Cape May County Open Space Board will finance most of the cost with $850,000 in funding.
Amenities will include doggy obstacles, water fountains and a safe, fenced-in environment for all of the canines. There will also be two shade pavilions to keep the dogs nice and cool.
The landscaped park will be configured to have a section for small dogs and a separate area for larger dogs. It will have a sandy ground surface.
Although the focus will be on the dogs, a third shade pavilion will be placed next door to the park to give the human visitors refuge from the sun and heat. It will also be a place for picnics.
The dog park’s location is next to the marshlands in a secluded area away from residential neighborhoods, so homeowners will not be disturbed by barking or other noise.
Parking was another consideration why the city decided to build the dog park on Landis Avenue at Seventh Street. Two new parking lots were built in the same area in 2019 as part of a restriping plan to make the Landis Avenue corridor safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pet owners using the dog park will be able to use the same parking lots.
Desiderio announced at the groundbreaking that there will be no fee for dog owners to use the park. However, dogs will need to be licensed and have their vaccinations.
During the quiet offseason months, the city lifts its ban of dogs on the beaches, giving canines and their owners a chance to get out and frolic on the wide-open shoreline.
But come summer, the vacationers take over the beaches and dogs lose their sandy playground. Without a place to call their own, dogs and their owners usually are out walking along the streets and sidewalks in the summer for exercise.
However, dogs will have their own exclusive playground year-round starting in 2024 when the park is ready.
“This is a park for you to come to and play,” Desiderio said while extending an invitation to the dogs at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Desiderio and his daughter, Carmela, visited dog parks in Ocean City, Wildwood, Upper Township and Egg Harbor Township for some ideas on amenities that will make Sea Isle’s canines and their owners happy.
The Desiderio family has a 4-year-old shih tzu named Bruno, who was one of the dogs making new canine friends at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Bob Clark and his wife, Tricia, the owners of Seamus, live in North Hills, Pa., and have a summer vacation home in Sea Isle. Clark explained that Seamus enjoys going to dog parks in Pennsylvania and will likely be a frequent visitor to the one in Sea Isle.
“He loves the dog parks in Pennsylvania. He loves running around,” Clark said.
Baxter, a 1-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was another dog at the groundbreaking ceremony. Sea Isle residents Scott and Lauren Oliver, Baxter’s owners, said they are anxious for the dog park to be completed.
“Basically, it will be a place for him to go and cut loose,” Scott Oliver said of Baxter. “It’s also a good place for him to socialize. It’s important for him to socialize.”
During his remarks at the ceremony, Desiderio predicted that the dog park will become another community “treasure” in Sea Isle.
With construction now underway and the dog park just several months from completion, Desiderio is cranking up the excitement.
“To all the dogs, get ready to party,” he said.
