It’s a dog’s life at Harrogate.

Peaches, Muffy and Calvin are just three Ocean County residents who enjoy one of Harrogate’s most unique amenities – an on-site dog park. The park boasts dog houses, open space to run and play, and plenty of dog toys.

Dog owners Lynn Adams, Jean and Cecil Good, and Martha Abate are just a few Harrogate independent living residents who spend balmy days at the park with their furry friends.

“I love the opportunity to let Peaches play and socialize with other dogs,” Lynn Adams says. “But my favorite thing about the dog park is that I’ve made such great friends with the other dog lovers here.”

In fact, Lynn organizes regular dinner parties for all dog owners at Harrogate. They meet in the dining room and share funny stories about their dogs.

“It’s fun to hear about how the Goods’ dog, Muffy, gets more haircuts than most people,” Lynn says. “Our dogs are our passions, so we all understand how much a part of each other’s lives they are.”

Lynn was instrumental in bringing the dog park, completed in 2014, to Harrogate. She knew it would be great for the Lakewood community’s four-legged residents to have a place to get to know each other better, but couldn’t have planned for the friendships among dog lovers that developed. Aside from dinner parties and fun at the dog park, if someone needs a ride down to the park, help walking their dog, or someone to simply take care of their pet while out of town, there’s always a neighbor to ask.