As a Silverton Resident I was so excited when the news broke that Silverton Park at 71 Maine Street would be getting a gated off leash dog park! My boys Oakley and Cash love to run and play, but they drive my wife nuts because they are always ripping up the lawn! A local dog park is just what we needed in our little Toms River community, and it has finally become a reality! Prior to that I had taken the dogs to a few dog parks, with varying degrees of satisfaction. So now that I have a great new park near my own home, I decided to do some research to find a few dog park gems in other Jersey Shore communities. Ones that are highly rated for size, safety, amenities, ect. 

     As I did my research I found that man, people are passionate about their dog parks! Good and bad. One of the biggest gripes, and a well warranted one, was cleanliness. Specifically picking up of dog poop! Now I’m sure each Township has a weekly or biweekly designated dog poop picker upper, but I mean this has to fall on us as dog owners. I get it, people sometimes forget bags, but most of these parks provide plastic doggie bags, the one type of plastic bag saved from the great Jersey plastic bag purge of 2022. You HAVE to pick up after your dog. No excuses. 

     Another issue, as I mentioned, was safety. Safety concerns should always be top of mind for fur baby owners each and every time one heads to the dog park. No matter if it’s your first time there with your pup, or you’ve been going for years. Vandals break gates. Animals dig holes under fences. Then of course perhaps the biggest safety concern. Other dogs. I stand by the rule that no one knows what’s inside a dog’s mind. Even the sweetest canine can be agitated by another dog, person, or something else in the dog park environment. Bottom line, keep your eyes on your dog and the dog or dogs they are engaging with. Treat your dog at the dog park like you would treat your child at the playground. Always know where they are and what they are getting into. 

     So with that, here are just a few of Monmouth and Ocean County’s favorite dog parks. There are many more and I hope to see you and Rover at them soon!