E. Patchogue


07/30/2023 – LI-DOG Pooch-a-Palooza Luau 2023

 

 

LI-DOG Pooch-a-Palooza Luau at The Pine Grove Inn!

Photo Credit: Joann Garguola

Sun., July 30th, Noon to 4 PM

Pine Grove Inn

1 1st St., 
East Patchogue, NY

(Google Maps)

 

How to find us: We’ll be out on the lawn and patio facing the river!

Leash up your pup and join us on the banks of the Swan River at The Pine Grove Inn in East Patchogue on Sunday, July 30th for LI-DOG’s Pooch-a-Palooza Luau! Enjoy great views, music, games, raffles, prizes, a delicious brunch, and dog-themed drinks. There’s even a special Doggy Menu for our pups!

There will be fun games with chances to win prizes. Participate in the “Biggest Lap Dog Contest” – always a fan favorite–or channel your pup’s musical side with Musical Sit!

Check out the Paw Print Booth where your dog can show off their inner “Pup-Casso” by creating a special print just for you.

Or pose for memorable photos at the Tikki Bar Photo Booth. Don’t forget to dress up your dog and yourself in your favorite summer luau outfits!

Make sure to visit the raffle tables to take a chance on winning one of the GREAT raffle baskets generously donated by our sponsors–Bark Box, Brutus Bone Broth, Chewy, Clovis Point Wines, Earth Bath, Great South Bay Brewery, Kitty Mulligans Irish Pub, Martial Arfs, My Human”N”Me, Palominos, Personalize Your Pet, and The Ivy Kitchen and Bar. Plus, many thanks to Alan Meschkow for donating a custom pencil sketch of YOUR dog and Gail Meschkow for a beautiful, matching handknit sweater and hat for you and your pup!

Sit and take in the view as you enjoy listening to music by our DJ Mike Kaplow, while ordering a delicious brunch from the restaurant’s menu. There’s even a special Dogtail Menu (for people only) featuring Beagle Mary’s, Tom Collies and Chi Wa Wa’s (margaritas, of course!).

The restaurant’s staff has also gone all out to create a special menu for your pups like sliders with rice and veggies, grilled chicken with rice, carrots and green beans, and veggie burgers with vegetables and rice. Yum!

A big THANK YOU to the management and staff of The Pine Grove Inn for donating their lovely patio and lawn on the Swan River for our Luau and their enthusiastic participation in making sure our guests–human and canine–eat well and stay hydrated!

This truly will be a special day to spend with your dogs!

Tickets are $20 at the door.

This is an important fundraising event to benefit LI-DOG. If you support LI-DOG’s work to get access to beaches on LI and enjoy our dog-friendly events like our Pack Walks, please come out and support us on Sunday, July 30th!

Please be aware that dogs must remain leashed on non-retractable leads at all times and are not allowed inside the restaurant.

Please remember to walk your dog before entering the venue. There’s plenty of grass around the parking area and before you enter the site.

Besides getting your ticket, please also RSVP so we can let the restaurant know how many guests to expect!

To RSVP, go to:

LI-DOG on Meetup

LI-DOG on Facebook

or email us at lidog_news@yahoo.com

 

We’re really looking forward to welcoming you and your dogs to our Pooch-a-Palooza Luau at The Pine Grove Inn on Sunday, July 30th!

 


07/20/2018 – Dog Exclusion Zone at Mud Creek Unworkable

 

Line of Fencing at Mud Creek

Fencing at Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach

Dog Exclusion Zone Created at Mud Creek–Suffolk’s ONLY Off-Leash Beach!

LI-DOG Asks Suffolk Legislator to Restore the Beach: Dog Exclusion Zone is Unsafe, Unworkable and Unfair

On May 1, 2018, 530 feet of fencing was installed to create a dog exclusion zone at Mud Creek County Park in E. Patchogue—the ONLY official off-leash beach on Long Island! The fencing, which cost $13,000 and cuts the beachfront in half, is the work of Suffolk County Legislator Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue). Leg. Calarco represents the 7th District, which covers Patchogue, Medford and Middle Island among other communities.

In an email to constituents, Leg. Calarco wrote the fencing was installed “to meet the needs of community members who are not dog people…and no longer felt comfortable using this area.”  While Leg. Calarco said he understands “this compromise may not be perfect,” he added, “it’s the best solution for all interested parties.”

LI-DOG argues the dog exclusion zone is not a “compromise” as LI-DOG and other dog owners were never notified or asked to provide any input on the project. “To take away so much of this singular resource without consulting dog owners is undemocratic and unfair,” said LI-DOG President Ginny Munger Kahn.” It would be like creating a playground for kids then suddenly taking away half of it to make a basketball court for adults. Dog owners are upset.”

Three Dogs in Water at Mud Creek Beacvh

Dogs Playing at Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach

On June 6th, LI-DOG was invited to sit down with Leg. Calarco to discuss the situation and potential solutions. At that meeting, LI-DOG urged the Legislator to do away with the dog exclusion zone and restore the beach to its original purpose. The off-leash beach at Mud Creek was designated a natural borders dog park in August 2009 as a result of the Five New Dog Parks bill passed unanimously by the Suffolk County Legislature in May 2007.

In addition to dividing the beachfront in half, the dog exclusion zone creates a new entry point for dog owners that is further north on Roe Avenue. The new entrance requires dog owners and their dogs to traverse all 530 feet of fence line and sand before being able to access the waterfront. The Mud Creek site formerly was used by the Town of Brookhaven to dump recycled glass and other debris. Broken glass has often been found in this large stretch of sand.

Satellite View of Mud Creek with Dog Exclusion Zone

Suffolk Parks Commissioner Phil Berdolt added that the County intends to install snow fencing between the chain link fence and the water. Right now, because of legal restrictions, the chain link fence stops short of the water thereby leaving an open beach front with no natural barriers to running and swimming dogs. (Please note: On Aug. 4th, LI-DOG and local dog owners were told the Parks Dept. has decided NOT to install snow fencing in response to LI-DOG’s requests.)

In asking for the restoration of the beach to its original purpose, LI-DOG argued the current situation is unsafe, unworkable and unfair.

– It is unsafe to make people walk across 530 feet of glass-strewn sand in sandals.

– It is unsafe to make pets walk across the sand as glass can cut their paws and the sands gets very hot and will burn their paws.

– Installing snow fencing between the chain link fence and the water will create a dangerous situation as dogs will still be able to swim around the fence or dig under the fence into the soft sand thereby separating dogs from their owners with no quick way for owners to help their pets.

– The situation is unworkable. Neither the dog exclusion zone nor the off-leash area can be secured without creating a dangerous situation. Yet, on one side you have people who are “uncomfortable around dogs” and on the other side you have off-leash dogs who can’t distinguish the off-leash beach from the exclusion zone.

– The situation is unfair to Suffolk County residents. It takes a beach accessible to all Suffolk County residents and closes half of it for use by people who live nearby, thereby creating a “private” beach for a few local residents. Mud Creek belongs to all County residents, not just those who can afford to live a short walk away!

– The situation is unfair as it exposes dog owners to steep fines as high as $200 if people complain about dog owners letting their dogs do what the beach was designed for—swim and run off-leash—and Park Rangers are sent to enforce the dog-exclusion zone.

– The dog exclusion zone was created in an unfair and undemocratic fashion with no public notice, no public hearings and no input from the people who use the park on this major change in its use.

– The dog exclusion zone is a waste of taxpayer money. The county spent $13,000 installing 530 feet of fencing that fails to serve its purpose–allow local residents to walk the beach without coming into contact with off-leash dogs. The zone is too small for walking, it is covered by poison ivy and water at high tide, and it cannot be secured without creating a dangerous situation, noted Janie Dill, a local dog owner who frequents the beach and has written a letter about this issue to Suffolk County Legislator William Lindsay III. Leg. Lindsay represents the 8th District in Islip and serves as Vice Chair of the Legislature’s Parks Committee.

The depth of feeling among dog owners about how unworkable and unfair this is is evident in the more than 340 signatures—the biggest component comes from Leg. Calarco’s 7th District—that LI-DOG has gathered on its petition asking for the restoration of the beach. Get the petition to Preserve Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach now!

It’s important people understand before the creation of the dog exclusion zone everyone, including nearby residents, had access to the beach, noted Bill Gillis who wrote LI-DOG’s follow up letter to Leg. Calarco after the meeting. Indeed,” we have seen local residents who come to fish, walk and enjoy the beach, most of whom enjoy seeing the dogs playing,” he noted. Creating the dog exclusion zone has now actually taken away access for a large number of Suffolk County residents who treasure Mud Creek as their only off-leash dog beach.

In response to LI-DOG’s arguments, Leg. Calarco asked that we give the dog exclusion zone “a season…to see if it can work.” If there are complaints, he said, he will “rethink it.” When LI-DOG raised concerns that the longer the dog exclusion zone stays in effect, the more likely conflicts will arise between people in the zone and everyone else, Leg. Calarco vowed he would not seek to eliminate the off-leash beach.

In the meantime, LI-DOG has made two recommendations:

– That the snow fencing NOT be installed in order to avoid creating a dangerous situation in which people are separated from their pets. (Thanks to Leg. Calarco and Suffolk Parks for responding to our serious concerns about the snow fencing. )

– That people be allowed to walk their dogs on-leash through the dog exclusion zone to access the water, thereby avoiding the glass-strewn sand.

What You Can Do:

It’s very important that dog owners let Leg. Calarco know the current situation is unworkable and unfair. Let the Legislator know the benefit of listening to the concerns of hundreds of Suffolk County residents who own dogs and want the beach restored to its original purpose. Let Leg. Calarco know this is a critical issue for dog owners and that support for dog-friendly policies is a key consideration in your support for elected officials.

Please urge Leg. Calarco to work with LI-DOG and local dog owners to come to a solution that:

– Preserves the County’s intent to dedicate an off-leash beach for dog owners and their pups at Mud Creek as a result of legislation passed in 2007.

– That meets the needs of dog owners for a safe place to let their dogs run and swim off-leash without fear of conflicts with other park users and summonses and fines.

Contact Leg. Calarco:

By phone at 631-854-1400 (Calls are the easiest, but most powerful way to send a message). Please be polite.

By Email at Robert.Calarco@suffolkcountyny.gov. Don’t forget to forward a copy of your email to LI-DOG at news@lidog.org so we can see how we’re doing with our campaign.

By Letter at Suffolk County Legislator Robert Calarco, 90 W. Main St., Suite 2N, Patchogue, NY 11772

If you’re a resident of Leg. Calarco’s District 7 make sure Leg. Calarco knows that! If you’re a Suffolk County resident, remind Leg. Calarco Mud Creek is for ALL County residents.

Want to increase your impact?

Download the petition and help LI-DOG get signatures to Protect Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach  Mail back petitions with signatures to:

LI-DOG
P.O. Box 1171
Huntington, NY 11743

Then, help spread the word by getting the Flyer Dog Exclusion Zone Created at Mud Creek.

The more support we can show for restoring the off-leash beach, the more likely we’ll get a solution that meets the needs of dog owners!

Thank you for your support!


.07/28/2018 – LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup

 

LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup

LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup
Sat., July 28th, 10AM – 12PM
Mud-Creek Off-Leash Beach

East Patchogue, NY

Spend some time at the beach with Fido and the great folks of LI-DOG for some OFF-LEASH summer fun!

Please join us at Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach in East Patchogue on Saturday, July 28th for a couple of hours letting our furry friends frolic in the sand and surf of the Great South Bay! To learn more visit LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup!


07/28/2018 – LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup

 

LI-DOG Barkin Beach Cleanup and Doggie Meetup
Sat., July 28th, 10AM – 12PM
Mud-Creek Off-Leash Beach

341 Roe Ave, East Patchogue, NY

(Google Map)

 

Spend some time at the beach with Fido and the great folks of LI-DOG for some OFF-LEASH summer fun!

Please join us at Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach in East Patchogue on Saturday, July 28th for a couple of hours letting our furry friends frolic in the sand and surf of the Great South Bay!

There’ll be plenty of exercise to be had running along the coastline or in the water as Mud Creek is an off-leash dog beach. A clean-up of the Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach will start at 8:30 a.m., so if you and your fur baby would like a little extra time in the sun, please join us in getting the area ready for our meetup!

Water will be provided for humans and dogs. Bring your own towel and beach chairs!

PLEASE NOTE: Mud Creek is a natural borders dog park, which means it is not fenced on most sides. For everyone’s safety, please only bring dogs that are well-socialized—used to playing with other dogs off-leash—and that will reliably come when called. Please NO RETRACTABLE LEASHES.

Mud Creek has no amenities and is considered “carry-in, carry-out” (i.e. no trash receptacles, no poop bag stations, no bathrooms and no water fountains). LI-DOG will have extra water and poop bags on hand, but please help us make the event a success by remembering to bring these items.

Parking is on the street and there is a narrow path to the water by the sign for Mud Creek Park.

PLEASE NOTE: In May, a chain-link fence was installed to create a “dog-exclusion” zone. To access the beach, please use the narrow path to the water by the sign for Mud Creek Park and walk dogs ON-LEASH through the area. Please be respectful and keep OFF-LEASH dogs out of this area. Avoid using the double-gated entrance. It is still under construction and it leads to a large expanse of sand where broken glass has often been found.

RAIN DATE: Sunday July 29th at 10AM. In the event of inclement weather, please check Meetup or our Facebook group as we will post any weather-related changes by 9 AM that morning.

RSVP

LI-DOG on Meetup
LI-DOG on Facebook
or email lidog_news@yahoo.com

We hope to see you and your dogs on Saturday, July 28th at the beach! (Please note this is a date change from July 21st.)


08/26/2017 – LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup II

 

 

Chloe Running on Beach at Mud Creek

Chloe Enjoying Our Meetup in July! Photo Credit: Kathy Goldstein

LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup II

Sat., Aug. 26th, 10AM – Noon

Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach

341 Roe Ave., Patchogue, NY (Google Map)

In response to requests by several dog owners–and their pups!–we will hold another Beach Meetup at Mud Creek County Park on Sat., Aug. 26th from 10 a.m. until Noon!

Spend some time at the beach with Fido and the great folks of LI-DOG for some summer fun. Join us at Mud Creek Dog Park in East Patchogue for a couple of hours letting our furry friends frolic in the sand and surf of the Great South Bay! There’ll be plenty of exercise to be had running along the coastline as Mud Creek is an off-leash dog beach. Complimentary snacks and water will be provided for humans and dogs. Bring your own towel and beach chairs!

A clean-up of the Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach will start at 8:30 a.m., so if you and your fur baby would like a little extra time in the sun, please join us in getting the area ready for our event.

Please note: Mud Creek is a natural borders dog park, which means it is not fenced. For everyone’s safety, please only bring dogs that are well-socialized—used to playing with other dogs off-leash—and that will reliably come when called. Please NO RETRACTABLE LEASHES.

Mud Creek has no amenities and is considered “carry-in, carry-out” (i.e. no trash receptacles, no poop bag stations, no bathrooms and no water fountains). LI-DOG will have extra water and poop bags on hand, but please help us make the event a success by remembering to bring these items.

Parking is on the street and there is a narrow path to the water.

We hope to see you and your dogs on Saturday, August 26th at the beach!

THERE IS NO RAINDATE FOR THIS EVENT!

RSVP

LI-DOG on Meetup

LI-DOG on Facebook

or email lidog_news@yahoo.com

We hope to see you and your dog at the beach on Sat., Aug. 26th!

 

 


.07/15/2017 – LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup at Mud Creek Dog Beach

 


LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup
Sat., July 15th, 10AM – 12PM
Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach
E. Patchogue, NY

Spend time with Fido and the great folks of LI-DOG for some summer fun at LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup at Mud Creek Off-Leash Beach! They’ll be plenty of opportunities for your dog to swim and run with other dogs as Mud Creek is an official off-leash beach located on the Great South Bay in E. Patchogue. For all the details, go to LI-DOG’s Barkin’ Beach Meetup.