COSTA MESA : Dog Park to Take Bow at Fund-Raiser

Residents and business people are planning to raise money this month to enclose a three-acre area of TeWinkle Park where dogs would be allowed to run off-leash.

A fund-raiser on Feb. 19 will include a walk for dogs and their owners through the proposed dog park. There will also be exhibits and prizes.

At the event, people must keep their dogs on a six-foot or shorter leash. All dogs who participate must be licensed, but the city will license them at the event for $20.

The City Council approved the plan for the dog park in November, but left it unfunded. City staff estimated that it will cost about $11,500 to fence in the southeast area of the park and build a parking lot. The county’s only other “bark park” is in Laguna Beach, and many Costa Mesa residents told the council they drive there to unleash their pets.

Park Supt. David J. Alkema said residents and local businesses have given $575, and the PetCare Co. in Newport Beach has offered to donate the fence, estimated to cost $6,000.

But some neighbors of the park are concerned that the dog park area will become a magnet for cars and noisy canines from Costa Mesa and other cities. Roy Andreen, president of the Mesa Del Mar Homeowners Assn., told the council Monday that overflow parking already spills into his community’s streets from TeWinkle users.

“We just don’t think it’s appropriate at that park,” Andreen said.

The Orange County Search and Rescue Team will display its team of bloodhounds at the fund-raiser. Prizes will be given for the biggest, smallest and best-behaved dogs. There will be a clinic about dog-training, and vaccinations will be offered.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and costs $20.

Though the city will not pay for the park, it is helping with promotion for the fund-raiser. The PetCare company and others are sponsoring the event.

Anyone who wants to donate money for the dog park should call the Community Services Department at (714) 754-5300.