I oppose this ordinance, and I would have spoken up before it went into effect had I known it was being considered. Parkettes are small, enclosed areas intended for children. Their design, and the playground equipment within them, is wholly unsuitable for dogs. Dogs (even on leash) are now free to urinate and defecate adjacent to or even on the playground structure, which is on a rubber surface at our local parkette (La Paz). When I think of my two year old playing there now, it’s frankly disgusting. I’m also concerned about poorly controlled dogs being in close proximity to very small children. In the past several weeks I've observed many dog owners at our local parkette allowing them off leash and not cleaning up after them. It's only a matter of time before our parkette is unsuitable for children.

I am writing to oppose dogs in parkettes with playground equipment. I am not opposed to dogs on leashes in larger parks, I am opposed to dogs in smaller, enclosed parkettes where there is playground equipment. I understand the desire to have a more dog friendly areas, parkettes with playground equipment is NOT the place for them. These parkettes are already hard to maintain and having dogs urinating (specifically the wood chips, the foam flooring, and the apparatus) and defecate on them just makes it harder to maintain them and wastes more money on maintenance. In "our parkette", La Paz, there is no water source, no way to rinse off the structures, the benches, nor the grass area. I recently saw a dog "mark their territory" 4 times while on a leash, around the apparatus. Since this ordinance, we have even more issues with dog feces, urination, and flies! Throughout the day the park is widely used. Children of all ages (specifically young children who crawl and learn to walk on this area). While I understand that dog owners want a space for their dogs to roam freely (which they cannot do under this ordinance), again, this is not the place. I routinely see dog owners walk past La Paz. I have asked a good many of them why they do not come in the gated park, and they all say, "this is no place for dogs, there are too many children". What is frustrating, is there is a wide open field just around the block from La Paz (Flagler and Ripley) that would be great for dogs, and two blocks down from that is the dog park. The dog park is becoming an increasingly un-popular area due to its lack of maintenance. I am in favor of finding an alternate solution to this problem. The easement on the 2500 block of Rockerfeller, the bike path near Artesia is a suitable alternative. This ordinance was rolled out in an irresponsible manner (not enough feedback, not one single person I know was asked their opinion about this. If you were to have put up signage around the parks, people would have an opportunity to voice their opinion). Please consider taking La Paz Parkette off the ordinance as soon as possible.

I think the comments on here are very exaggerated. I live in the middle of 3 parkettes all of which I visit regularly. I have never seen a dog off leash or poop on the ground. I am sure that it happens, but not very often. I think anyone who doesn't follow the rules should be ticketed. If someone sees an owner not picking up poop they should tell them to pick it up. Once called out for it they are more likely to pick it up in the future or to stop going to that park since they will see the same regulars at the park.

On the other hand, I have never had good experiences at the dog park on Flagler. There are too many aggressive dogs there. That is where the owners go who let their dogs run wild and don't pay any attention to what their dogs are doing. Allowing dogs in the parkettes lets them learn to socialize better and also gives children exposure to dogs.

No one in North Redondo has a backyard big enough for a dog to really move around in, and they need to do that every day. Having the chance to spend time in the park with their family is good for the dog as well as the family. I would also suggest that dogs be allowed on the grass (weeds) along the bike path under the power lines. It is just wasted space that no one uses and would be a perfect place for dogs to get a chance to run around a little. (It would also be a better place for a community garden instead of south Redondo where people have yards big enough to plant their own garden).

Dear City Council:

We are opposed to continuing the dogs in parks/parkettes trial. Our opinion is based on observations of dog owner’s usage of the McNeill/Jaycee parkette.

Our observation is the main use of this parkette is as a person dog park. The majority of owners let their dog off-leash, throw balls or let their dogs roam freely. The bulk of the dog owners use our parkette without the accompaniment of children to exercise their dogs as a substitute for the dog park. It is rare that parents and children along with their dog visit the parkette for a family outing.

Dog owners show up at the parkette with multiple dogs roaming free at the same time on a daily basis. When multiple dog owners use the parkette at the same time, there is significant loud barking that impacts all the neighbors surrounding the parkette. Enclosed are a few sample photos of how the parkette is being used.

One neighbor informed us they will no longer allow their children to play in the parkette because dog owners fail to pick up after their dogs have defecated on the grass. The condition of the grass has deteriorated due to the destruction caused by the dogs. Enclosed are photos taken of the parkette immediately before the trial and again on May 1, 2021.

I hope the city council realizes the fact that local dog owners treat the McNeil-Jaycee parkette as an extension of the city's dog park, located on 190th. The constant violations of the city's policy should be grounds for removing the McNeil-Jaycee parkette from the new dog park ordinance.

Regards, Mark and Michele Oplatka

I oppose the continuation of allowing dogs in some of the parks/parkettes in Redondo Beach.

I have observed many people with their dogs in the parks near me, and most do NOT follow the rules.

I also think that many people are confused as to which parks allow dogs – even though signs are clearly posted.

I have seen people with their dogs off leash, with dogs running around like it’s their personal dog park, including in parks where dogs are still not allowed.
Perry Allison Playfield is very close to the Redondo Beach Dog Park, but, I had one man even tell me he didn’t want to go to the dog park, because the dog park is dirt rather than grass.

I have seen people block ungated entrances to some parks using chairs and other objects, which prevents other people from entering the parks. I imagine they do it so their unleashed dogs don’t run out of the parks.

The Perry Allison Playfield grass is becoming very torn up and will soon resemble the Redondo Dog Park if people are allowed to continue using the park as their off leash dog park.

The comments here and in the public communications/dispatch calls are exaggerated hyperbole and should be put into perspective. While there may be 30 - 40 approx off-lead sightings over the past year. This is a minuscule number in comparison to the amount of dogs whom now exist in RB where the owners are doing the right thing, please note this. This also goes for owners whom do not pick up after their dog. All dogs owners we know are responsible and do strictly collect their dog waste. As a dog owner, I personally hate when someone does not and at times we have had to collect others too. Sure, it unfortunate when we see this happen but there is no poo-pandemic going on, lets keep this in perceptive, 99% folks are doing the right thing.

If RB was to roll back this trial and not allow dogs in parks it would be a said state of affairs as this is a ridiculously old rule. If owners are caught not doing the right thing, they should be cited but this is not enough reason to roll back this trial. RB should be more progressive and permanently allow dogs in all parks, just like all our adjacent cities do. As more younger families move into the neighborhood with kids and pets, this city should be a happy place to live without the worry of “where” and “where-not” we can walk our dogs.

Redondo has listened to and responded to requests for a more dog-friendly approach. Since then, there has been a dangerous and beyond frustrating trend of dog owners letting their dogs run off-leash.
Redondo has opened it’s arms and welcomed dogs into our parks, with the understanding that DOGS MUST BE LEASHED AND UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES. It’s on the signage. It’s in the City Municipal Codes. People who aren’t happy about sharing parks with dogs have had to compromise. We’ve had to deal with increased need for cleanup, park maintenance, and most of all, vigilance.
And in return? Many entitled dog owners have unapologetically declared our parks leash-free. They have been given an inch and they are taking a mile.

Redondo has tried to help dog owners, and has spent our resident’s tax dollars doing it by creating the dog park on Flagler where dogs can run to their heart's content. If that dog park is not acceptable, there are plenty of ways to voice concerns. Instead, they are choosing to just break the law and let their dogs run around in whatever park they choose.

We’ve all heard it over and over. ‘I don’t need a leash, my dog is friendly’; ‘My dog is trained'; ‘He’s just playing'; etc. Too many dog owners just cannot think outside their own box and beyond their own dog, so they need to listen up if this is ever going to work:
You let your cute fluffy dog run all over, then the girl with the aggressive husky will do the same. Then EVERYONE is letting their dogs run. The leash law doesn’t exist to keep you or your bundle of joy from having a good time. It exists to keep you SAFE. Everyone has to follow the same rules in this situation or it’s a free-for-all nightmare of fast, aggressive dogs running side by side with your harmless lap dog. People have been hurt. Dogs have been hurt. Think about it!

It’s the responsibility of every dog owner to know the leash law - to stop the excuses, stop the entitlement, stop laughing it off, stop the attitude when caught in the act. Until all dog owners can get it through their heads that dogs in parks is a compromise, NOT a free-for-all, opening up our parks to dogs remains a bad idea.

There are clear signs of no dogs in the parkettes but people disregard them and my child cannot play freely at Sneary parkette. The dogs are big, they are off the leash or on a long leash. In addition to welcoming all the poop that owners already leave on the streets will come into the park. I have to be extra careful when my child plays. Many of us live in a tall and skinny so the parkettes are places for us to stretch out. I feel that if we allow dogs in parks and parkettes without their own section, we will just take away a place that kids and parents can go and play freely without worry.

We frequent our park almost every day and every single time we are there, dog owners let their dogs off their leashes, allowing them to run into areas where children play, including basketball courts, green spaces and play structures. Some dogs intimidate people enjoying the park and the owners ignore them, believing their dogs would never bite or hurt anyone. I have confronted some of these individuals and they refuse to leash their dogs, despite those whose dogs charge at me and my family. I cannot guess the intention of a dog running towards us so we have to assume any dog rushing towards us intends to attack.

There is also a problem of dogs defecating in our parks and owners who will not and do not pick up after them. We cannot actively enjoy our own park because we have to be on constant lookout for dog feces. This is a health hazard and unacceptable, given that our parks are so frequently used by children and given that the city itself admits it cannot enforce the requirement that dogs remain on-leash and in control of their owners. Leaving "dog bag" stations in parks won't solve the problem; the problem is many dog owners feel entitled to let their dogs defecate on public property—they would not use those stations in the first place.

Allowing dogs on parks, even on-leash, invites more bad actors than good to our parks. Please rescind this ordinance.

The dogs need to go to the dog park.

The responsible owners don’t make up for the ones that let their dogs off lash and poop and walk away from it.

Also I’m tired of having a picnic and an off leash dog around.
That’s what the dog park is for..