Boy Scout's Dog Park Project Moved, Officials Say

In response to complaints from residents, a Moorestown Boy Scout has had to relocate his plans for a dog park.

Scout John Matthews, who is creating the park for his Eagle Scout project, had proposed putting the park on an unused field at Pryor Park.

However, township manager Scott Carew said nearby residents of the proposed location, upon hearing about the project, expressed concerns over, among other things, noise from dogs barking and owners not cleaning up after their pets. 

As a result, the park has been moved to a new location—though Carew and members of council involved in helping the Scout get the project off the ground were reluctant to identify the location until all the due diligence had been done.

"Where we're looking now is not an active park (like Pryor)," said Carew, who mentioned that the Open Space Advisory Committee was responsible for suggesting the new site. "It's a passive park."

John, a member of Boy Scout Troop 44 at the First United Methodist Church, is in the process of planning fundraising activities, including a dog fair at Moorestown Day on June 1. Corporate sponsors who make large donations will be identified on a sign installed at the park, and individual donors who want to memorialize the name of their pet ($50 each) will also be acknowledged with something permanent at the site of the park, according to his plans. 

He pegged the cost of the project at between $10,000-$15,000, all of which will be raised by John and his fellow Boy Scouts.

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