(As seen in Inside Armonk)
By Maggie Mae with Ronni Diamondstein
I’m a dog–a very special dog. I’m a six-year-old, black-and-white, Toy Parti Poodle. My name is Maggie Mae, and some of you may know me because I am the Inside Chappaqua Roving Pup Reporter. I was so excited to hear about the new, Inside Armonk magazine and to be able to write about a neighboring town I enjoy visiting. With a nose for news, I will give you the dog’s eye view of Armonk and beyond.
I thought it was important to find out about the Town of North Castle for dogs, so I got in touch with the Town Clerk, Anne Curran. She told me that the town has a leash law for dogs, and the least can’t be longer than eight feet. “The leash law protects dogs as well as people,” says Curran. I agree. I like to run around on my own, but I’ve seen cars suddenly come around corners and whiz by. A leash keeps me from forgetting the rules and dashing into the road where I might get hurt. If other dogs are on leashes I know they’ll be safe.
Registering your dog is important and I wear my dog tag proudly. No dogs are allowed in Town parks unless they are licensed. And it’s a good way for your dog to be identified if you get separated. The North Castle Town Hall issues dog licenses, but only to North Castle residents. Your owner can apply for the license in person at Town Hall or by mail using the application that is found on the Town website. The fee is $10 for spayed and neutered dogs and $18 for unspayed and unneutered dogs.
“People like to walk their dogs in our parks and the nature preserve,” says Curran. I know North Castle has nice parks, and sometimes walk in Wampus Brook Park with my owner. My friends Max and Peanut like to walk there, too. Max is an 11–year-old Pug and his sister Peanut is an almost 2-year-old French Bulldog. They know a lot of great places to get exercise in Armonk. “We like to walk at the track at North Castle Community Park on Business Park Drive,” says Max. Milo, a Pug I know, also loves to walk in town. You can often see him walking with his buddies Max and Peanut.
Some of the other places to walk in the town are Betsy Sluder Nature Preserve, Winkler Park, Cat Rocks Park, a designated nature conservancy, and Johnson Tract and Fountains Park which are wooded areas.
The Town of North Castle has some important rules when dogs visit the Town Parks that we must follow. Besides being leashed and licensed, we must be under the visual and voice control of a responsible person at least 18 years old. Of course, whoever is with the dog in any Town park or recreational facility must pick up after their pet.
Some dogs just like to walk in their own neighborhoods I learned when I reached out to my friend Nate, a two-year-old Cavapoo to get the scoop on the town from his point of view. Nate, a Cavalier King Charles and Poodle crossbreed doesn’t like to go in the car that much so he enjoys walking the loop in his lovely Windmill neighborhood with his 13 year old sister, Lizzy, a Standard Poodle.
It’s so exciting to be a roving reporter in Armonk as well as Chappaqua. Please let me know where you like to take walks. You can contact me at maggiemae10514@gmail.com
Visit Maggie Mae’s blog at www.maggiemaepup.com
Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant, and award-winning photographer.
Maggie Mae’s Must Do:
ECAD – Denim Heels Boot Tail, Thursday, May 15
starting at 6:30 P.M. at Brynwood Golf & Country Club in Armonk, NY.
This annual fun-filled event raises funds for ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities,) the not-for-profit organization that raises, educates and places Service Dogs with people with disabilities, many of them Veterans.
An evening of dinner, dancing and an inspiring program, ECAD will honor individuals and entities that have shown their support for ECAD’s work and for help given to Veterans of the Armed Services. ECAD clients and their Service Dogs will be in attendance. Tickets are $200.00 per person. For information call
914-693-0600, ext. 1950. For further information visit www.ecad1.org
