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Sara Ross throws a toy to dogs Lilly and River while playing on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. The property that belongs to Jeannie and Matthew Constantine is used by dog owners looking for a large play area for their pets. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Jeannie Constantine walks with Sara Ross and her black lab River on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Constantine makes her large yard, which includes a pond, available for dog owners like Ross to use as a backyard. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Black Lab River shakes off water after fetching a toy on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Lilly, an Australian shepherd, bounds along the water's edge while playing on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Sara Ross throws a toy to dogs Lilly and River while playing on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. The property that belongs to Jeannie and Matthew Constantine is used by dog owners looking for a large play area for their pets. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Many dog owners who lease apartments in the Lowcountry struggle to find safe and secure places to exercise their pets and get fresh air.

But with the growing popularity of SniffSpot, Charleston-area residents and their pups are finding more options.

SniffSpot is an online community marketplace that allows dog owners to rent land — usually the backyard of local homeowners or nearby farms — by the hour as a safe and private dog park.

"I put out a couple lawn chairs, a water bowl for the dogs and sanitizer station just in case some people want to take a seat and watch their dogs run around,” said Jeannie Constantine, co-owner of Constantine Farms on Johns Island.

Constantine and her husband Matthew own the 35-acre plot of land where three ponds, a fishing dock and tall grassy fields make for an exciting day for many pet owners who rent the land as a private dog park.

The couple also cares for animals of their own, including goats, chickens and a family of ducks who’ve called one of the three ponds home for many years.

According to Jeannie’s profile on SniffSpot, the farm rents out for $15 per hour. Dog owners can choose from grassy fields, a wooded walking trail, a swim in one the catfish-filled ponds or to watch their pets from the seated area Constantine put out for guests.

Jeannie Constantine walks with Sara Ross and her black lab River on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Constantine makes her large yard, which includes a pond, available for dog owners like Ross to use as a backyard. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Constantine moved to Johns Island from Summerville when she married Matt and moved onto his family's land five years ago.

“I fell in love with the quiet serenity and wildlife on this property,” Constantine said, smiling as she watched her two baby goats cling to her every step. “My husband, daughter and I love the ability to have animals and crops and enjoy a simpler life.”

Matthew is an artist and specializes in custom-painted pet portraits.

“He’s really good,” Constantine said, pulling out her phone to present his portfolio of heroically drawn golden and Labrador retrievers, iridescent colored fish and birds. “He always jokes that people are willing to pay more to have their dogs painted than they are to have their kids painted.”

And with three houses that once belonged to Matthew’s parents and other siblings sitting vacant, the couple is looking for ways to maintain the property while giving back to locals in the area.

Sara Ross, a veterinary technician who lives in an apartment complex in West Ashley, and her 2-year-old black Labrador retriever, River, are regulars at the farm.

Black Lab River shakes off water after fetching a toy on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

River competes in dock diving competitions around the state, but Ross said it's been difficult finding places to train him that allowed dogs and were also free of preying alligators.

And since Constantine Farm is just a short trip away she, River and her newest puppy, Lilly, a 3-month-old Australian shepherd, are enjoying the frequent trips.

“Sometimes we’ll go to James Island but there’s alligators there,” Ross said, gripping the wet buoy toy River had just fetched a few feet into the pond. “That can be a little scary, but there’s no alligators here and River can practice jumping off the dock.”

Constantine Farms is just one of more than 15 listings in the Charleston area advertised on Sniffspot and more homeowners across the Lowcountry are joining each day, including in Walterboro, Beaufort and James Island. 

However, with more homeowners leasing their outdoor spaces, experts are urging pet owners to be mindful of the areas where they take their animals and watch out for pests, such as deer ticks, and certain types of gravel that can become lodged in a dog's paws.

Kris Kiser is president of the TurfMutt Foundation, an organization that advocates for the care and use of green spaces as well as pet rescue.

He said that along with being aware of the terrain and climate of the outdoor spaces that the pets will enter, dog owners also need to choose spaces based on their pet's individual needs.

These include the dog’s age and energy level as well as weather conditions outside.

Lilly, an Australian shepherd, bounds along the water's edge while playing on Johns Island on Aug. 6, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

“If the surface of the ground is too hot to touch with your hand, then it's too hot for your dog to walk on,” Kiser told The Post and Courier.

So Kiser recommends owners look for areas that have green spaces that allow their dog to escape the hot pavement. Kiser also warned that when choosing play areas that are unmaintained and full of wildlife, it's important to check your animals for ticks and other common pests.

“Tall grasses are great but beware of deer ticks and make sure you check your dogs frequently,” Kiser said.

Now that Ross has found a safe place to practice dock diving at Constantine Farms, Lilly, the Australian shepherd, may be able to follow in River's pawprints. And Constantine said her husband Matthew plans to build a brand-new dock in the next few weeks, making River and Lilly's diving future much brighter.

 Follow Zharia Jeffries on Twitter @Zharia_Jeffries.

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