By Georja Umano Jones President, Unleash the Beach
As a person who loves the outdoors and nature, I am all for creating and improving parks in Santa Monica. However, the scales are tipped very unevenly when it comes to funds to improve dog parks.
Those of us who use dog parks and/or would like to use them are a large percentage of the population. Yet in our existing parks, it continues to be smelly and create hazards for dogs, especially small dogs with the wood chips often creating splinters and other damage. Water fountains are filthy and clogged. Landscaping, lighting and a general overall plan to create a fun and appealing atmosphere (for both humans and canines) are missing.
I am speaking of Jocelyn, Pacific and the dog run at Memorial (where there is no water or shade at all) parks. If any of the other parks were in such disrepair, no one would use them. Yet the dog parks continue to be popular because it is the only place we can exercise our dogs off leash. There are no dog parks at all north of Wilshire.
So, before or while (depending on the budget, I guess) putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into other types of parks, isn’t it time to revisit the needs of those of us who have dogs and are in need of nice parks?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2006. Read the original PDF.