Following Delays, Dog Park Opening Set for Saturday

After a couple of delays in the past couple of months, a dog park in Calverton is expected to open this Saturday.

The partnership between Riverhead Town and Riverhead Move the Animal Shelter, a non-profit run by Riverhead resident Denise Lucas, will hold a ribbon-cutting cermony Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at its home on Route 25 in Calverton.

Councilman Jim Wooten, the town board liaison to the Animal Advisory Committee, said in a statement that the year-long effort, "would encourage residents to visit the adjacent ball field site, provide a unique opportunity for residents to let their pets run free safely and legally without a leash, and provide a place for social interaction for dogs and their owners."

The one-acre park had , though paving improvements coming into the park first needed to be completed. A mid-May ceremony was also delayed after to keep dogs from digging out from underneath the fence.

Lucas' organization has raised both awareness and much of the materials necessary to complete work on the project. What started as an effort to build a completely new animal shelter, replacing the current building on Youngs Avenue, and play with one another.

"It's a step in the right direction," "Once people see the dog parks are being put in they'll know the shelter is soon to follow."

According to Wooten, the dog park on Route 25 in Calverton - where ballfields at the park have yet to open to the public - will soon be followed by another park closer to downtown, at . He's also said he would like to see one at South Jamesport Beach.