Oakland Mother, Son Dream To Open Dog Park Becomes Reality

OAKLAND, NJ — The Oakland Dog Park, a project that an Oakland mother-son duo dreamt up all the way back in 2009, is opening doors May 8.

There will be a ceremony, which "well-behaved dogs" are allowed to attend, according to the Borough of Oakland. The event starts at 1 p.m., in Great Oak Park, and will also be live-streamed on Youtube. Click here to RSVP, until May 2.

Dog owners who wish to bring their pets to the park must register for an annual membership, which costs $10 per year per dog for Oakland residents, and $20 for all others.

The proceeds will go towards park maintenance, which is funded without public dollars. Over $50,000 were raised to put the dog park together, as well as over $55,000 in pledges, donated labor and in-kind donations.

The dog park is the brainchild of Ryan Schwertfeger and his mom Jill, who started putting together plans in 2009, according to the Oakland Recreation Department. Then an eighth-grader at Valley Middle School, Schwertfeger had a project for school and his mom suggested he propose a dog park, as the family had just rescued a dog named Scooby.

Jill has since died, from cancer, in 2012, and so has Scooby, just last month.

"I have decided to name the park in her memory and while it would need to be formally approved by the Mayor and Council, all indications are that this proposed name would be accepted," the park website reads.

It took over a decade, fundraising efforts, public hearings, and different location proposals for Schwertfeger and his mom's vision to come to life. And starting this weekend dogs around town will get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.