A Dog’s Eye View of the New Pup Park
Pimms decides to take breather on the Dog Park ramp after scaling it several times.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was submitted by our newest, and only four-legged, staff writer. You’ll find Pimms complete biography with those of our other writers on page 4. Pimms may have broken a rule or two trying out the new park several weeks prior to completion. But as he says in his review, he was chomping at the bone to get a look. Obviously, he was pretty impressed. He’s a tough critic who doesn’t hand out five-bone ratings without good cause.
Pimms stretches his legs in Sea Isle City’s new Dog Park.
I’ve been chomping at the bone (OK, before you send in your correction, horses chomp at the bit; I’m a dog) to get a look at the fabulous new dog park here in Sea Isle. I was so excited by the November announcement; I just couldn’t wait to get my first look. It took some convincing but my human, John, finally agreed to take me to see it. I jumped in the car and waited for John. He still had some reservations, but I have him trained well. Thankfully, we were off. Finally.
We arrived at the spacious parking lot at 6th Street on Landis Avenue. There’s room for lots of cars. I expect it to be crazy in the summer. But such is life here at the Shore. I can’t wait to meet new friends from out of town here at the park. We’ll bark at the park.
Of course, I had to endure John’s “I told you so” when we arrived on what was a spectacular early April morning to find the park still under construction. Everyone promised the park could be completed by Memorial Day and they kept their promise with a May 4 ribbon cutting. And I, for one, can’t wait. And did I mention? It looks a-mazing.
I think John and I may have bent the rules just a little when we gave the park a brief run-through for this review. John tried to keep me outside the fence, but that didn’t work out so well.I can assure you that they’ve thought of everything for the fun and safety of our canine friends. Obviously, there’s lots of room for us to run and stretch our legs out. But this isn’t just one of those big, empty, fenced-in lots. Nope. There are also a bunch of cool things to do inside the park: ramps to climb up and down, tubes to run through, there’s even a hoop for my pals who like to jump through hoops. I loved them all, but I found it more comfortable to take a little rest on the ramp. I’ll leave the running up and down the ramp to those young pups. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
Naturally with all that running, it’s easy for a dog (and his human) to work up a good thirst. No problem! There’s a water fountain for your humans with a special faucet and silver bowl at the bottom for all of us dogs. Ah, that cool water will taste especially good on a hot summer day. And I like the idea of the special silver bowl.
When we come back next time, I’m pretty sure that John will find it comfortable on the benches and picnic tables shaded from the sun by an enormous roof. Plus, I’ll need a little time on my own, too. I’ve got to do whatever I can to keep John happy. After all, he’s my ride. And with the picnic tables, maybe I will convince John and his wife Jacqui to pack us a nice picnic lunch to enjoy at the park. With the beach only steps away, it’s almost like a picnic on the beach. We’ll be living large.
So, the bottom line is that Sea Isle City has created the finest dog park in Cape May County. Period. Would you expect anything less? I give the new Sea Isle City Dog Park my highest rating – five bones. You’ll need to convince your human to bring you over to try it out.
And now, like the water tower says, everyone – especially dogs – has reason to smile: We’re in Sea Isle!
About the Author: PIMMS
Pimms is an Old English Sheepdog who was born on Oct. 8, 2012, in Alpine, Calif. His formal name is Pimms Cup Cool as a Cucumber. Pimms’ parents are Bugaboo Big Shot and Cottonwood Pretty in Pink. Not trying to be la-di-da, but that’s what it is. His “good boy” name is Pimms, His “bad boy” name is – we’ll just skip that part. Pimms arrived at the Jersey Shore on Dec. 21, 2012, which makes him just about 12 years old or, a little over 80 in “dog years.” Regardless of how you measure his age, he’s certainly a well-seasoned canine of Cape May County. Being homeschooled, he’s well-behaved on a leash and shows the necessary respect and restraint for plants and lawns, though fire hydrants, poles and signs are all fair game. He almost never goes “crazy dog” on the curb while his human is doing the poop-bag shuffle, even when tempted by the sight of Walter, the Scottish Terrier who lives across the street.