Panel Voices Concern on Beaches for Dogs

City Recreation and Parks commissioners voiced concern Wednesday about a proposal to create three dog beaches along the Venice shoreline, but told the group of dog lovers advocating the plan that they would study the issue.

Members of a Venice-based group told the five-member commission they want three stretches of sand set aside for dogs to run free in the early morning and evenings.

But commission members said more research would have to be done regarding the plan’s impact on health and the environment.

“We are very interested in off-leash dog parks, but my personal sense is that the beach is not the place for it,” said Steve Soboroff, president of the board of commissioners. “You would let your children take their towels and their buckets and sit in that same sand?”

A representative from Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter also voiced doubts about the plan.

“We have some very serious concerns. This is a very heavily congested area . . . where there would be gallons of urine and feces,” said Jeffrey Prang, Galanter’s director of community affairs.

Galanter has endorsed the creation of an off-leash dog space in Westminster Park, a few blocks from the Venice boardwalk.

The ambitious proposal to create the first dog beach in Los Angeles has a long way to go.

Because the city-owned Venice Beach is operated and maintained by Los Angeles County, the plan requires approval from the Department of Recreation and Parks, the City Council, the Board of Supervisors and a host of other public agencies responsible for water quality and wildlife protection.

Despite the concerns of city officials, advocates said they still have hope their pooch paradise will become a reality.

“I’m very optimistic this is going to move forward,” said Daryl Barnett, co-founder of the group. “We’ll get a public consensus--what we need to do is unite all the dog owners.”

Barnett said her group is organizing a dog owner rally at the Venice Pavilion on April 12, when Venice residents and their canine companions will march down the boardwalk in support of legal off-leash beaches.