Sussex County residents chasing a new dog park

SELBYVILLE, Del. – “It makes you smile to see animals running around, having a great time.”

Like most dog owners, Ferne Cooper loves giving her dog, Cosmo, the chance to run free without a leash and play with other canines.

The obvious destination is a dog park.

But as an Ocean View resident, Ferne had a problem: “There’s nothing here. It’s either one direction [to] Lewes, or 94th Street in Ocean City, and both of those are out of the way for people who live in this area.”

What started as a conversation about where people can bring their dogs grew into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit: the Southern Coastal Delaware Dog Park Foundation, hoping to live up to its name.

Sussex County resident Frank Miranda said that while there hasn’t been any official action from Sussex County, support from public officials has been very encouraging, with talks of the county essentially donating up to 10 acres of land for the project: “We were guided by the county engineer, the county administrator, and one of the county council members, who have all expressed a lot of support in what we’re trying to do… We were in discussions with the county about leasing [the land] to us for a dollar a year.”

As they move closer to their goal, the foundation now moves onto the fundraising stage, hoping to show local officials how badly the community wants a dog park at their upcoming fundraising event.

“We’re hoping that they all come to our fundraiser to be part of it and see the excitement,” said Miranda.

The South Delaware Coastal Dog Park Foundation’s fundraiser will be taking place on Wednesday, August 7th, starting at 5 pm. At the Smokey Hollow Venue in Selbyville, the event will feature live music, food, and drinks, with proceeds going towards the planning and construction of a new dog park.