Bark Park

It has been called a pooch playground, a puppy paradise, a canine country club. And Sunday, after four years of fund-raising and seven months of construction, Redondo Beach Dog Park formally opened for barking, becoming the first park in Southern California built exclusively for Rover to romp.

More than 1,000 dogs turned up to christen the lush green leash-free zone, which was created atop what once was a barren dirt strip zigzagging under power lines. A pooch parade kicked off the festivities along with a canine carnival featuring pet massages, Frisbee catching demonstrations and psychic readings for pets, at $1 a pop.

“This is the place to come,” said Maria Castalano of Hermosa Beach, whose Pomeranian, Buddy, appeared to especially like the separate run for small dogs only. “I’ve been to dog parks before, but nothing as great as this.”

The Los Angeles area, indeed, is no stranger to pooch parks, most notably the one along Mulholland Drive that draws the pets of movie stars and artists, among others. But even there, at Laurel Canyon Park, the dogs run loose only part of the day and there’s a fenced-in playground for children.

There’s nothing like that at the new Redondo Beach park. Here the policy is all dogs, all the time.

Madeline Bernstein, executive director of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says the push for more dog parks is a reaction to tougher local leash laws. The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a plan to build a 10-acre dog park--which would be the largest in the county--in the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area. Several other cities, including Manhattan Beach, have tossed the idea around.

“Dog parks fill a much needed social gap for dogs who have no place to play,” Bernstein said. “It’s also a sociable atmosphere for people to get together and talk about their dogs.”

The origins of the Redondo Beach Dog Park go back four years when many of the city’s 7,000 registered dog owners began grumbling about the “no dogs in the park” rule.

The city granted the group, which came to be known as the Friends of Redondo Beach Dog Park, a temporary usage permit for an undeveloped dirt strip under the Southern California Edison power lines next to Dominguez Park. They were given six months to prove that people would use it and to find their own funding for improvements.

At the end of the trial period, nearly 400 dog owners were bringing their pets on weekends to the dusty three-acre lot, formerly a dump, at 190th Street and Flagler Lane. A survey revealed that most would chip in so that grass and trees could be planted.

The group pledged to raise $30,000 and the city then put up $40,000, along with labor in the form of a public works crew, which began transforming the lot in April. By Sunday’s opening, the group had just $7,000 more to raise to meet its pledge--and was hoping to do so selling “bone sponsorships” to park users, whose names would be written on a bone plaque placed on the park entrance.

The park has two fenced off areas: one where big dogs such as Great Danes and greyhounds can run wild, the other for small dogs that might prefer to roam with those the same size.

The park features stainless-steel water troughs and the essential wooden bins filled with plastic bags, the pooper scoopers of choice here. As the dogs socialize, their owners can sit on benches and trade tips about canine nutrition and potty training. Or they can read pet care tips on a nearby bulletin board, which also lists park rules--such as that dogs in heat are not allowed. The park also plans “agility” classes at which dogs will learn to jump hurdles and go through obstacle courses.

“This park has really come a long way,” said Redondo Beach Mayor Brad Parton, who brought Buck, his yellow Labrador, to the grand opening. “It’s a real success.”

Leslie and Randy Mosteller of Manhattan Beach couldn’t agree more. They tried bringing their greyhound, Checkers, here when it was a dirt lot, only to have the former racing dog cut his feet on glass and trash. So they stopped coming.

With the thick grass there now, “we can let him loose,” Leslie Mosteller said--pledging to make Checkers a regular.

It was a good first visit also for Ginger, a cocker spaniel puppy, who had her paws read by Lisa Joss.

After consulting pet Tarot cards decorated with various animals, Joss had reassuring news for Ginger’s owners: The tiny dog had been in a loving family in her “past life” and thus already felt close to her new family.

“We wanted to give her some direction,” explained a relieved Hillary Stotler as she carried Ginger away from the reading.

“Of course, we don’t believe everything they said,” interjected her boyfriend, Jack Fiedler. “But it was fun.”