Allow the City of Santa Monica to create a pilot dog beach

Los Angeles is the only major coastal area in California--a 75 mile stretch-with no access to a dog beach except  the southern tip- a 3 acre park in Long Beach.

Local advocates have won the endorsement of the City Council of Santa Monica to create an off leash pilot program. The city has agreed to monitor it closely and pay any associated expenses.

The State Parks and Recreation has so far refused to consider allowing the public and the City of Santa Monica who is standing up for the public, to open the beach for this use-- even at limited times, days,  seasons, or unused areas of the beach.

This is a matter of tweaking a regulation in the State Parks and Recreation which gives the department total say so about beach use, regardless of public and city demand.

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.

Arguments given against dog beaches can be refuted with the state's own research project, published by the CA State Research Bureau in 2006. It shows that more than 60 other dog beaches in California which already exist do NOT have the problems which are always brought up as major concerns.

The California Research Bureau Report is downloadable and found on www.unleashthebeach.org

Please sign this petition to show that you support fair usage of public beaches and that you consider recreation with dogs to be a mainstream form of recreation which needs to be acknowledged at the state level.