Principal Sponsors: Anthony Hitt, David Morse, VCA Animal Hospitals
Who we are...
Unleash the Beach is a grass-roots community organization which now encompasses Santa Monica Dog Owners Group (SMDOG). We are part of the Dog Beach Now Alliance, affiliated with like-minded organizations in our sister cities - FREEPLAY in Venice and PaliDog in Pacific Palisades.
What we're about...
There are more than 5,000 dog owner/guardians who choose to live near the ocean in the City of Santa Monica, California. In the belief that our dogs help us to be a community--to interact as friends and neighbors--our mission is to establish an off-leash dog zone on the beach where we can recreate and socialize together with our dogs.
What are the issues?
Read 10 "Mistaken Assumptions" and Facts about Dog Beaches.
Some of our neighbors have expressed concerns, including questions about the impact on water quality, and since we're environmentalists, too, we're very serious about addressing that. But the fact is, studies of other dog-designated beaches elsewhere in California have shown that there are no adverse environmental impacts.
Other legitimate concerns about the cleanliness and safety of dog-designated areas can be resolved based on real-world experience at existing off-leash zones. For example...
Neighboring cities Long Beach and Huntington Beach already have highly successful, well attended dog beach areas--frequented every day of the year by responsible owner/guardians and their ecstatic canine friends. We appreciate having the support and wise counsel of successful advocates like Justin Rudd of Haute Dog in Long Beach and Martin Senat, President of Huntington Dog Beach.
San Diego is noted for having four outstanding dog-designated areas, including an impressive expanse in Ocean Beach. San Francisco has no less than 13 such areas. Santa Barbara also has a wonderful stretch of beach where dogs can play.
Until Haute Dog lobbied for and won the establishment of the Long Beach Dog Zone, Los Angeles County was the only coastal county in California without dog-designated areas on its beaches.
We expect a portion of Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo to be open for off-leash, supervised dogs--all because of the diligent efforts of Daryl Barnett and FREEPLAY, assisted by our dear friend, the late Mike Gordon, former mayor of El Segundo and California State Assemblyman.
We want to bring the same recreational amenity to a portion of Santa Monica Beach. Please contact us at Unleash the Beach to express your support (or your concerns).
Please join us in supporting the establishment of a supervised off-leash area on Santa Monica Beach.
And whatever your questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at Unleash the Beach.
