Oakland Resident Sees His Decade-long Dream -- And Promise To His Late Mother -- For A Borough Dog Park Get Closer To Being A Reality
Ryan Schwertfeger, arguably one of Bergen County’s most community-minded young adults, has been working on a dream since he was in the eighth grade.
The 24-year-old never has wavered from the mission of seeing Oakland have a dog park and naming it after his mother, Jill, who died of cancer in 2012 and who gave him the idea to work towards giving the borough’s four-footed residents a place to enjoy.
Schwertfeger has been working tirelessly for the last 10 years to raise funds, community support, gain approval from the town and other government agencies to see the completion of the first place in town where dogs – which number roughly 1,000 in Oakland -- are allowed to run free without a leash. It would be located in the 40-acre Great Oak Park.
“I don't know how many people can say they spent one-eighth of their life doing something,” Schwertfeger said.
He has made impressive strides toward the goal – as of April, he and others helping with the project had raised approximately $30,000, with an additional nearly $30,000 in pledged donations of labor and materials.
“The residents in Oakland have donated a lot,” Schwertfeger said, visibly moved.
The U.S. has about 1,200 dog parks. The first official one, the Ohlone Dog Park, was established in 1979 in Berkeley, California.
The Oakland dog park project is roughly $30,000 shy of the projected cost of making the dog park a reality. But Schwertfeger, who has weathered many ups and downs on the road to the goal, stays focused and optimistic, saying the next step toward closing the gap is through cash or pledged donations – which are tax-deductible -- from businesses and corporations.
“We hope to have all or most of the funds raised by the end of this year,” he said.
The Oakland Borough Council has approved the project, but on the condition that Schwertfeger raise the funds for it, since no tax money will be used.
The quest for Oakland’s very own dog park began in 2009, when Schwertfeger had a puppy Golden Retriever mix named Scooby, but no nearby dog run to take him to. His mother was a huge fan of Cesar Milan, host of the popular television show “Dog Whisperer,” and learned through the program that dog parks are ideal for our furry friends to get their exercise, run free, and socialize.
It would take 20 minutes to get to the nearest dog park in Ridgewood.
“I want to do it for my mom because that’s what she wanted, and for the residents of town, and I’ve been working on this for 10 years of my life.”
Then came an opportunity to take action – Valley Middle School, where Schwertfeger was a student, required a community-focused project for graduation. His mother suggested the dog park.
He circulated a petition around town to gauge interest, and in no time got more than 650 signatures.
He showed town officials, who marveled over the level of support for a dog park, but who said because of the struggling economy, the time wasn’t right to make it a priority.
Schwertfeger forged on, working on ideas and plans for the dog park, and learning the ins and outs of advancing a project through fundraising and making presentations to government entities. Then tragedy struck when his mother died in August, 2012 -- just six months after her cancer diagnosis. She was just 48 years old. Her death fueled his desire to complete it even more.
He has received approval to name the dog park after his mother – The Jill Schwertfeger Memorial Dog Park.
“I want to do it for my mom because that’s what she wanted, for the residents of town,” Schwertfeger said, “and I’ve been working on this for 10 years of my life.”
Since he was a kid, he’d put on a dress shirt and tie and present his idea to those who might be able to help.
He has held town halls to talk about the dog park plans, and fundraisers, such as craft shows. Schwertfeger, who chairs the Oakland Communications Commission, keeps detailed updates and other information relating to the dog park on such things as a Facebook page and a website.
Schwertfeger envisions a fenced-in run for big dogs and another, adjacent one for small ones.
He had considered quitting a few times - but he always ended up motivated once again.
He added that Scooby is now almost 12, and hopes he gets “to see it.”
When does he think his mother’s vision could become a reality?
“My hope would be Mother’s Day 2020,” he said, “it would be pretty fitting if it was named after my mother and it opened on Mother’s Day.”
Natalie Aguado is a correspondent for the Oakland Borough Newsletter.
