WE EVIDENTLY NEED LEGISLATIVE ACTION

http://www.smdp.com/Articles-local-news-c-2011-11-18-72972.113116-State-Parks-puts-dog-beach-plan-in-the-kennel.html

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED....The State Parks and Recreation is still refusing to consider allowing the public and the City of Santa Monica who is standing up for the public, to create a limited pilot dog beach on a beach which is vastly unused in the morning, on weekdays, in the winter, and in various areas.

We are not asking to bring our dogs to the beach on the 4th of July. We are only asking for a modest pilot program which could be set up at those times and places when NO ONE is on the beach. Those of us who live near the beach can see that there are plenty of times like that.

 We are already exploring legislative outlets to correct this problem. It is a matter of tweaking a regulation in the State Parks and Recreation which gives the staff  total say so about beach use, irregardless of public and city demand.

Recreation with dogs is a mainstream form of recreation which needs to be acknowledged at the state level.
Dog guardians are at least 44% of households. There are more dogs than children. 

We are the public and tax payers, and we have a right to a share of public resources.

All the arguments against dog beaches can be refuted with the state's own research project which shows that more than 60 other dog beaches in California do not have the problems which are always brought up as major concerns. 

We are only proposing a PILOT program to find out and test the feasibility of a dog beach in Santa Monica. At the end of the pilot, if our beach is the one in 60 that fails the test, then we will not get it.

The California Research Bureau Report is downloadable on this website.

Putting out the call to fair minded animal loving people involved with the politics of California who can lend a hand. Please contact us directly at georja@unleashthebeach.org.