Fido and friends Gather as Fire Trucks Spray Water High into the

Wildwood Sky in Celebration of the New Fire Hydrant

 

The Wildwoods, NJ(August 15, 2014)– Every dog has its day…and at Wildwoods Dog Beach that day was today, when The City of Wildwood unveiled a 25 feet tall, fire-engine red hydrant art sculpture. An ode to man’s best friend, the art piece was a gift to the city from Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Water Parks in celebration of the Wildwoods’ first-ever, dog dedicated beach.

The unveiling was led by Ryan Troiano, head of Wildwood Beach Services, Commissioners Pete Byron and Anthony Leonetti, who were also joined by Will and Jack Morey, second-generation partners of Morey’s Piers.  The Wildwood Fire Department sprayed water sky high as the large tarp covering the artwork was carefully removed.  More than 50 dogs from the surrounding area attended and splashed around as the public art project was revealed and received free dog biscuits from Wildwoods beloved “Fudgy Wudgy Man.” Snowy, from Wildwood, NJ, won the costume contest for “Wildwood pride” being the “most original” dressed as a lifeguard driving a Boardwalk Tramcar.  

 

Customized souvenir Frisbees along with information on pet-friendly hotel accommodations and events in the area were given to pet owners. For a full list of dog-friendly hotels and events, visit www.wildwoodsnj.com.  

 

 

 

 

Constructed from recycled parts of an old Morey’s amusement ride, the sculpture was designed and built by the father and son team of Peter J. Bieling and Pete C. Bieling, architect Rich Stokes and Morey’s Piers’ artBOX resident artists, David Macomber.  A cultivated addition to the Fido-friendly, seaside play area, the 5,000 pound structure is detailed with bones, dog paws and a squirrel perched on top. It also pays special recognition to the Wildwood Fire Department and two volunteer units – HBFD (Holly Beach Fire Dept.) and WFD#1 (Wildwood Fire Dept. #1). 

 

In a joint statement from both the City of Wildwood and Jack Morey they commented, “This project is a great example of how public and private sectors can work together to advance a great beach resort in a fittingly fun and quirky manner.”

 

On June 14, 2014, the City of Wildwood opened its first dog-friendly beach at Poplar Avenue, stretching one city block wide and 1,500 feet long.  Dogs visiting the Wildwoods area are now welcome to join their families on the beach and to swim in the ocean within this designated dog beach area. Fresh water and dog clean-up bags are available and the beach is open every day from 6:00am until dusk.  All dogs must remain on leashes. 

 

For more information on The City of Wildwood or the new dog beach art sculpture unveiling, visit www.wildwoodnj.org.

 

About the City of Wildwood

The City of Wildwood was incorporated in 1912 and is situated on a barrier island comprised of five separate municipalities consisting of Wildwood, North Wildwood, West Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Diamond Beach, which is governed by Lower Township.  During the off season Wildwood has a population over 5,400 according to the 2000 census, but the number of people visiting increases that number to approximately 250,000 or more during peak vacation time.

Wildwood is a family resort with plenty of activities to keep our visitors of all ages entertained. We offer a wide variety of restaurants, amusement piers and water recreation of all sorts. Our museum can provide you with lots of information about our history and our fine public service departments’ work very hard to ensure that each visitor’s experience is a pleasant one, creating new memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.  For more information, visit www.wildwoodnj.org or phone (609) 522-2444.

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