Park Could Close if Dog Owners Don’t Do Their Duty

The city’s popular “Bark Park” could shut down permanently if pet owners don’t do a very literal job of cleaning up their act, a police official said Tuesday.

The park, a grassy two-acre strip alongside Laguna Canyon Road, reopened Saturday after being closed for nearly two weeks because of pet owners who litter and do not pick up after their animals, Deputy Police Chief Jim Spreine said. It’s the second time the park has been shut down for that reason since 1992, when it became Orange County’s first park where dogs could run unleashed.

The city plans to post a new sign at the site, explaining what rules must be followed if the park is to remain open, Spreine said.

“If these rules are not adhered to, we could have the park closed again on a temporary basis,” he said. “And it could ultimately lead to a permanent closure.”

The land is owned by GTE, which has an office next to the fenced park. Bob Gingrich, a manager there, said dog owners often release their animals at the curb, allowing them to roam unattended while they search for a parking place.

“They think it’s a drop-off area,” he said. Dog owners are supposed to keep their pets leashed until they enter the fenced area, and clean up after any messes the dogs make.

During the recent closure, pet lovers complained to both the city and to GTE workers, according to Spreine and Gingrich. The park draws dog owners from neighboring cities as well as Laguna Beach.

“It’s so popular,” Laguna Beach Animal Control Officer Joy Lingenfelter said. “One Sunday . . . I counted 65 dogs in there at one time.”

But even this week, Lingenfelter said, people were parking where they shouldn’t have and allowing their dogs to run unrestrained from the car to the park gate.

“Just today . . . when I was driving by, I had to stop and ask somebody to move their car from the ‘no parking’ area where there are like nine signs,” she said.

Some animal lovers are careful about observing the park rules, and Gingrich said volunteers sometimes come in to clean the mess left behind by others.

“I’ve honestly seen them come in and fill up a trash can with what people have left from their dogs,” he said.

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‘Bark Park’ Reopens

Park could close permanently if rules are not followed.