Talk about a treat for dogs and their owners! The City of Atlantic City celebrated the Grand Opening today of the first city-run Dog Park in Atlantic City. City of Atlantic City Mayor Small, Sr. was joined by city officials and the Inlet Community Development Corporation (CDC) to cut the ribbon at this beautiful new community space at S. New Hampshire and Pacific Avenues in Altman Park, designed to give dogs a safe, outdoor area for fun, exercise and socialization.
The new Dog Park – which consists of grass and mulch – has separate sections for larger dogs over 40 pounds and smaller dogs up to 40 pounds, both containing obstacle course equipment for the dogs, plus open space for them to run and play. Owners are expected to properly dispose of all dog feces at one of the multiple waste stations located within the park. Bags are available on site. All dogs being brought to the park should have previously received all proper vaccinations. The city asks owners with aggressive dogs not to bring them to the park.
“This is not just a commitment to the people of Atlantic City, but also to our furry friends, because to be a family town, you have to be a dog town as well,” said Mayor Small. “This space has undergone significant upgrades, because this is something our residents have been asking for and we wanted to make sure we gave it to them. This is the true definition of giving something back to the Atlantic City community.”
“We heard some residents were going to other towns to utilize their dog parks, and we wanted to make sure we had a dog park to call our own here in Atlantic City,” said City of Atlantic City Health & Human Services Director Jarrod Barnes. “We hope our residents enjoy this park, while at the same time taking care of it and keeping it clean, not just for our fellow neighbors, but for our pets as well.”
The Dog Park at Altman Park is now open daily from sunrise to sunset and will be locked during off hours. The City of Atlantic City’s Health & Human Services Department manages the Dog Park. The City of Atlantic City’s Planning & Development Department was responsible for the design. The City of Atlantic City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Office helped obtain funding for the Dog Park. In the Inlet neighborhood, in addition to this Dog Park, the Inlet CDC recently opened two Pickleball courts and resurfaced the tennis and basketball courts in the neighborhood. The City of Atlantic City plans to open a second Dog Park in the near future with that location still to be finalized.
