Dogged determination: Group to clean beach
By PAM WIGHT Special to the Daily Press
If the thought of dogs on the beach leaves you looking for your shoes, not to worry, says Georja Jones of “Unleash The Beach.”
Jones and her supporters swear they will clean up after their dogs if the city allows them to have a designated area of the beach to let their dogs run free. So eager are ‘Unleash” members to show they are serious, they will be joining their adversaries on Saturday for a beach cleanup to prove they are also environmentalists.
Joining an environmental group that opposes her efforts is Jones’ latest move in her fight to get approval on a leash-free area of Santa Monica Beach. Saturday’s “Coastal Clean Up Day,” sponsored by the environmental group “Heal The Bay,” seems to be an ample opportunity.
“We are just trying to show we are willing to be responsible about our dogs,” said Jones. “Dog owners should have the same rights. We pay taxes too.”
Jones started “Unleash The Beach” in an effort to gather supporters for her efforts to create a leash-free area of Santa Monica Beach. Currently, dogs are not allowed on the beach in Santa Monica, although there are 58 “dog beaches” within the state. “Most of the objections to the dog beach just don’t hold up,” said Jones.
Some dissenters contend the dogs would add bacteria and pollution to the water in the immediate area or prove a liability for the city. But Jones said her group asked the managers of all 58 beaches that currently have leash-free areas to see their water quality studies — all were in safe compliance. In addition, no such lawsuits have resulted from the dogs, said Jones, adding that fears of dogs transmitting disease can be dispelled by a UCLA infectious disease specialist.
The next move for “Unleash The Beach” is to publicize the positions of the City Council candidates before the election. Both Bobby Shriver and Jon Mann have promised to join the group at the beach on Saturday for the cleanup. Jones said that most of the candidates support the idea, but she is still waiting for a response from a few more before she begins a mass mailing campaign to make public their views.
Jones’ present strategy is to not only let the city know she has a bone to pick with them, but also to show that a constituency of dog lovers stands firmly behind her.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 18, 2004. Read the original PDF.