ASBURY PARK, Aug 19 — Dogs frolic in the sand, jump from plastic pool to pool, and lap from a sprinkler while their owners enjoy drinks of their own outside the Wonder Bar, a hangout and music venue in New Jersey’s famed Asbury Park beach town.

It’s Yappy Hour.

Three days a week, from 3pm to 6pm, the owners let their pets off the leash and grab drinks from an outdoor bar. The canines dig in the sand, run on a deck and cool off in the pools, watched by "doggy bouncers” who step in if a pooch becomes aggressive. A US$10 (RM45) entrance fee supports animal welfare groups.

The Wonder Bar, across the street from Asbury Park’s boardwalk, has just one of the performance spaces in this Jersey Shore town known for rock singing greats like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.

During Yappy Hour, it’s the dogs’ turn to howl. — Reuters