Neighbors Seek to Curb Barks at Busy Dog Park

Huntington Beach’s popular dog park may soon be closed to early morning visitors after eight neighbors filed $1 million in claims against the city for emotional distress they say is caused by continuous barking there.

Park neighbors have filed claims demanding the city curb the barking or find a new home for the thousands of dogs who frequent the fenced, two-acre site in Huntington Central Park on a regular basis.

The neighbors said they have complained to the city for years about dogs barking as early as 5 a.m., when the area opens for owners who want to run or walk their pets off leash.

“It’s horrendous at all hours,” said Bert Hollander, who has lived near the park since it opened in 1995. “It’s horrible when you’re woke up from sleep or when you’re trying to put your kids to sleep, but it’s ridiculous during the day too.”

Traffic noise from nearby Edwards Street is practically pleasant, say neighbors who describe the constant barking as an unbearable nuisance.

“The traffic is nothing compared to the dogs,” Hollander said. “Yipping and yapping of dogs is a higher pitch and it grates on you.”

City officials hope to solve the problem by restricting the park’s hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Park hours now are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

But dog park board member Richard Whissen said some dog owners rely on the park’s predawn hours.

“We’re hoping that the city takes that into consideration as well,” said Whissen. The Community Services Commission will hold a hearing on the matter Jan. 10, and the City Council is expected to make a final decision in February.

The park, which is run by a nonprofit group and funded mostly by donations, is busiest during the late morning and late afternoon. The park usually has about 30 dogs during prime hours, said Ron Hagan, the city’s director of community services.

Hagan added that tests with a decibel meter show the barking there does not violate any city noise ordinances.

Some of the neighbors who filed claims said reducing the park’s hours won’t help. They plan to ask the city to move the site into the middle of Central Park.

“I was listening to the cacophony this morning,” Dwight Anderson said. “These dog caretaker people show up with eight or 10 [dogs] at a time, and they’re all yapping and excited. You can hear it real good.”

The dog park in Huntington is one of four in Orange County. Officials in Laguna Beach and Costa Mesa said they haven’t received any complaints about noise at their parks, which are located away from residential neighborhoods. Officials in Laguna Niguel could not be reached for comment.