This Union County, NJ Town Will Now Allow Dogs in Their Parks

I love going for walks, and enjoy walks, even more, when I'm at my parent's house and their dog Max is walking with us.

There's something so great about seeing how happy he is walking the development, smelling every single mailbox there is, and then attempting to run through the park on the far side of the neighborhood.

He has short stubby legs so he doesn't run very well.

Imagine, if you will, that the park he likes to walk/run through all of a sudden said: "No Dogs Allowed."

This is what happened a while back in Fanwood, Union County, according to NJ.COM

What Is Ordinance 118-23B?

Ordinance 118-23B in Fanwood states

“No dog, except a guide dog accompanying a blind or otherwise disabled person, is permitted in any public park of the Borough of Fanwood, regardless of whether such dog is controlled by a leash.”

Now, it looks like dog-loving residents will be able to enjoy the dog days of summer with their four-legged friends in tow.

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The Ordinance was overturned by a 5-1 vote, the only dissenting vote being from Councilwoman Patricia Walsh according to NJ.COM.

Her reasoning: Fanwood is a small town with small parks, and not everyone's a dog person.

I'll be the first to admit I love dogs.

Pugs, Pitbulls, mutts, Shiba Inu's, if it's got four legs and barks I want to pet it.

That being said, I see where Councilwoman Walsh is coming from.

For a while when I was a kid, I was terrified of my friend's big Chocolate Lab.

It was a big dog, it would bark at me every time I came over to their house, and was intimidating.

Fanwood, per NJ.COM has three public parks.

Now that the ordinance was overturned, all three of those parks are now dog friendly, but would it make sense to have one of those parks remain 'dog-free' to cater to those who were against dogs in the park in the first place?

There are some stipulations for dogs being in the park such as dogs must be on a leash, and well behaved, but still if you're not a fan of dogs would that be enough?

I'm of course curious about your thoughts on this: should all parks be dog friendly in a town that small, or would it be beneficial to have one park that's a "no dog zone".

For now, though it looks like the dogs will have their day!