New Brunswick is Going to the Dogs, Beginning in May

A May date has been tentatively set for the grand opening of the city’s first dog park, prompting plenty of city-wide tail-wagging.

The park will be carved out of space in Boyd Park along the Raritan River, with separate entrances and spaces for large and small dogs.

Tom Valenti, the director of engineering and the department of public works in New Brunswick, said that fencing has been installed at the park, which will be near the PSEG substation adjacent to the New Street exit on Route 18.

Some of the work that needs to be completed before the May 20 opening includes the pouring of concrete, some grading, and the installation of benches.

The City Council at its meeting on Wednesday, March 15 approved on first reading an amendment to the city ordinances covering parks and playgrounds to establish guidelines for dog parks.

According to Ordinance 032303, all dogs must be accompanied at all times by at least one person who is 18 years of age or older, and children under the age of 8 are not permitted in the dog park. Children 8-17 must be accompanied and supervised by at least one adult 18 or older.

Also, there will be a limit of two dogs per dog park user. At no time should the number of dogs within an off-the-leash area exceed 10 or the number of people exceeds 10. When others are waiting, use shall be limited to 30 minutes or less.

All dogs will be required to have current rabies, distemper, and parvo vaccinations.

Dog park users will be responsible at all times for the behavior and safety of their dogs and should be considerate of other users – and they must clean up after their dogs.

According to the ordinance, puppies under 6 months will not be permitted into the park.

A park planned for a vacant one-acre plot downtown would include a 6,000-square-foot space for dogs.

Plans for that park, which has informally been referred to as Wolfson Park or Neilson Street Park, were unveiled by William Reimer of Florham Park-based Matrix New World Engineering at a public meeting in March 2022.

Plans for that park have been put on hold while more soil testing is conducted, a city official told TAPinto New Brunswick.

Story By: Chuck O'Donnell
Photo Credit: TAPinto New Brunswick