RIVER EDGE — An idea hatched while John Fugazzie was walking his dog has become a reality.
The newest dog run in Bergen County opened Saturday in Van Saun Park.
The idea for a dog run in the park progressed rapidly from a Facebook group started in May 2011. That caught the attention of Mayor Sandy Moscaritolo and Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy.
The mayor drafted an online petition that collected hundreds of signatures in favor of the dog run. He and Murphy found a suitable location.
The River Edge Council gave its support. The councils in Paramus, New Milford, Bergenfield, Dumont and Oradell followed.
With that support behind him, Moscaritolo took the idea to Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan. From there, Ron Kistner, county parks director, found money in the parks budget, designed it and used county workers to build it.
It all started with Fugazzie, who got the idea for the run while walking his dog Kayla in Van Saun. He was initially worried that politics might slow down the project: Moscaritolo and Murphy are Democrats, while Donovan is a Republican.
But many of the people involved in making the dog run a reality are also dog owners. They brought them to the dog run opening Saturday: Fugazzie was with Kayla, Moscaritolo with Cody, Murphy with Jet and Donovan's chief of staff Jeanne Baratta with her dog Ajax. Freeholder Tracy Zur was holding a dog too, but it wasn't hers.
"It was really a classic example of people working together," Fugazzie said.
via www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2013/09/release_the_hounds_bergen_county_opens_newest_dog_park_photos.html
The newest dog run in Bergen County opened Saturday in Van Saun Park.
The idea for a dog run in the park progressed rapidly from a Facebook group started in May 2011. That caught the attention of Mayor Sandy Moscaritolo and Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy.
The mayor drafted an online petition that collected hundreds of signatures in favor of the dog run. He and Murphy found a suitable location.
The River Edge Council gave its support. The councils in Paramus, New Milford, Bergenfield, Dumont and Oradell followed.
With that support behind him, Moscaritolo took the idea to Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan. From there, Ron Kistner, county parks director, found money in the parks budget, designed it and used county workers to build it.
It all started with Fugazzie, who got the idea for the run while walking his dog Kayla in Van Saun. He was initially worried that politics might slow down the project: Moscaritolo and Murphy are Democrats, while Donovan is a Republican.
But many of the people involved in making the dog run a reality are also dog owners. They brought them to the dog run opening Saturday: Fugazzie was with Kayla, Moscaritolo with Cody, Murphy with Jet and Donovan's chief of staff Jeanne Baratta with her dog Ajax. Freeholder Tracy Zur was holding a dog too, but it wasn't hers.
"It was really a classic example of people working together," Fugazzie said.
via www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2013/09/release_the_hounds_bergen_county_opens_newest_dog_park_photos.html
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