East Quogue Dog Owners Plan Fundraiser For Dog Park

Brian Babcock’s goal is to have a dedicated dog park in East Quogue by next spring.To do so, he’s putting his dogs—Lady, a 2-year-old boxer and greyhound mix, and Charlie, a 3-year-old beagle—in the spotlight.On Sunday, September 23, his four-legged family members will march with their fellow canine companions of East Quogue in a parade around the East Quogue Village Green to raise money for the proposed park’s construction.Partnered with Julie Crowley of East Quogue, Mr. Babcock has asked the Southampton Town Board to allow for an off-leash, fenced-in dog park to be built across from the Pine Neck Marina, a secluded town-owned lot off of Head of Lots Road in the hamlet. Currently, the closest public dog park is the Southampton Village Dog Park on Windmill Lane. The proposed Pine Neck Meadows Dog Park, which is estimated to cost roughly $60,000 to build, is just 2 miles from Ms. Crowley’s Foster Crossing home. The East Quogue resident’s two Labrador retrievers, Bubba and Rosie, will join Lady and Charlie at the fundraising event next month. Mr. Babcock said the plan is to have contests for best dressed dog, a 50/50 raffle, as well as local vendors and pet shops spanning from Eastport to Speonk. Officials from the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation will also make an appearance with dogs ready for adoption.Moving forward, Ms. Crowley said the plan is to form a stewardship group of six or seven East Quogue residents to work with the Southampton Town Parks and Recreation Department to maintain the park. Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said that the collaboration would work similarly to that of the Hampton Bays Beautification Association. “It would be perfect because the parks department is very burdened, it would be great if someone would keep an eye on it,” he said, adding that the details are still being worked out.The biggest startup cost for the project would be installing a fence—with divided sections for small and large dogs—around the property, which Mr. Babcock estimated would run close to $50,000. Yearly maintenance costs have not yet been determined. “It wouldn't cost much,” Mr. Schneiderman said. “There’s not much maintenance associated with this.”Ms. Crowley, as president of the Hampton Bays Rotary Club, plans to donate an undisclosed sum of money from the club to offset the cost of other needed amenities such as water fountains, benches, and waste receptacles. Ms. Crowley added that the dog park will not only benefit the dogs, but their humans as well. “This setting provides an opportunity for humans to socialize and share ideas about what the community’s needs are,” she said. “People of all ages can benefit.”