CRANFORD, NJ — Barking, playing and swimming! It was truly a pool party for pooches.
The annual Pooch Plunge on Saturday, Sept. 14, brought out 150 dogs to participate, frolicking in the water before the Centennial Pool officially closed for the season. The Cranford Community Connection recently teamed up with the Cranford Recreation and Parks Department so dogs of all sizes could have some fun in the sun. Both resident and non-resident pooches were able to sign up.
To attend the pup party, all dogs had to be up-to-date on vaccinations and able to play well with others.
“It’s the most fun event,” said Nikki Savino Mulcahy, Board of Education representative at Cranford Recreation. “There’s a lot of opportunity to meet people in the community.”
Jill Pall was there with her female miniature pinscher, Charlee. “We come every year,” said Pall. “She loves the water. This makes us very happy. It’s nice to get her out while the dog park is renovating.”
Andrea Zakutansky was there with her 3-year-old dog, Paisley. “We come every year,” she said. “Paisley came since she was a puppy.”
Jill Zakutanski was visiting from Manalapan with her dog, Brinkley. She loved all the interactions Brinkley was having with the other dogs. “She’s a puppy, learning to meet and greet,” she said.
Nicole Consorte was there with her 7-pound toy poodle, Cali, for the first time. “She’s got a good temperament,” she said.
Tom Dosdos and his wife, Melanie, were also there for the first time with their dachshund, Remy. Tom said, “It’s a fun event.”
Melanie said, “It’s really nice meeting other dogs and getting to socialize more.”
Julie Peterman had two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Crosby and Harry. “We come every year,” she said. “It’s so perfect for small dogs to have an easy entry. They’re 12 and 15. The 15-year-old can’t get enough. It’s a good environment. The more dogs, the better!”
Ellen Rosenthal was there with her 5-year-old rescue dog, Dash, who is a mix. “They think he’s a long-haired Chihuahua,” she said. “He’s having such a good time with all the other dogs. It’s nice they did something like this.”
Sydney O’Hagan was there with her daughter, Jane, 11, and their 1-year-old Corgipoo named Clarence. It was their first time at the event. “He gets to be free and play with so many dogs,” said O’Hagan. “He loves other dogs. For him, this is exceptional. The water-level is perfect.”
Vanessa Montesano was there with her Jack Russell Terrier she called “Lunchbox the Wonder Dog.” She said she loved “seeing my girl run around.”
Montesano and Lunchbox love to go to parties this time of year and, today, Montesano said, “Lunchbox partied hard.”
Julie Wischusen was there with two mini-goldendoodles named Spaghetti and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. “This is my favorite day in Cranford!” she said excitedly. “I love it so much! Puppies, pool and sunshine.”
To learn more about the Cranford Community Center, visit: https://cranfordrecreation.org/.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta