Group Hopes It’s Not Barking Up Wrong Tree on Park Idea

As soon as the column appeared touting Irvine as a great place for women to live, I expected dissent. In this beautiful country of ours, there’s always a dissenting opinion.

Pat Vinet stepped smartly into the breach.

“If Irvine is a great place for women, it certainly isn’t for dogs or women with dogs,” she says.

She then goes on to say that Irvine is “the dog-unfriendliest place in the state.”

That’s quite a claim and one that I doubt the editors at Ladies Home Journal were aware of when they rated Irvine No. 4 in its national survey of “Best Cities for Women.”

None of the magazines’ criteria involved pets.

Lucky for Irvine, says Vinet, a 45-year-old substitute school teacher and member of FIDO, the Federation of Irvine Dog Owners. She’s got two Jack Russell terriers, “a backyard the size of a parking space,” and would like to be able to let her dogs get some exercise by running free.

It’s not like Irvine has no open space, Vinet says.

“Our community is unique in that we’ve got parks on top of parks,” she says. “We have so many parks, it’s absolutely absurd. Most of them are under-utilized, because there are so many of them. All I can figure is that the powers that be aren’t dog people. They really don’t care.”

Irvine residents who want to run their dogs (without risking a heart attack) virtually have to leave town to do so. Four other Orange County cities have dog parks, including Bark Park in Costa Mesa, which I visited this week.

It was a bracing sight: dogs of all stripes were running pell-mell, leaping and barking and, or so it seemed, having the time of their lives. You could almost hear the strains of “Born Free” playing somewhere in the background.

And why not: a sign on the park fence reminded dogs and owners that “Happy Howlidays” is scheduled for Nov. 7-8.

“I can’t imagine why any city wouldn’t want to have one,” Jenna Tavis tells me when I ask about the dog playground in a corner of Tewinkle Memorial Park. “It’s an awesome idea.”

The 22-year-old Tavis has been coming almost daily for the last eight months with her two golden retrievers. “It’s socialization for them to be around other dogs, and they get a lot more exercise than they would get with me,” she says. “And they have a lot of fun.”

Dena Blackburn, who was letting her golden retriever romp right along with her 2-year-old son, says the park is also citizen-friendly. “For me, it’s easier to bring the dog so he can run around, and I don’t have to try to push a stroller and bring the dog on a leash. I guess if you have a well-trained dog, that’s fine, but mine is a little hyper. It’s just easier to come here.”

Exactly, Vinet says, noting that FIDO has presented 2,000 signatures to the Irvine City Council trying to convince them of just that. The group has the feeling the city isn’t all that interested.

Irvine city official Libby Cowan, who should know something about this subject because she’s also a Costa Mesa councilwoman, says that isn’t true. She concedes the Irvine dog park issue has dragged on a bit but attributes that to false starts on at least two potential sites.

“We’ve always kept in mind the need for a dog park,” she says. The city isn’t anti-dog, but when I suggest a “philosophical” issue may be involved, Cowan agrees.

“I think it is a philosophical thing,” she says. “Residents don’t want a dog park next door to them. They tend to have the stigma of being loud, because of the barking and so forth. Another thing residents hate to see is a neighborhood park being blocked only for dogs, because then they can’t have kids playing in there.”

The city is looking for a non-neighborhood site, Cowan says, and is strongly considering a lot next to the local animal shelter at Sand Canyon Avenue and Oak Canyon. That site has been considered for a skateboard park, but the council now seems to be looking elsewhere. Until the council decides where to build the skate park, the dog park will probably remain on hold.

“The council is committed to the dog park but it’s first committed to seeing the skate park built,” Cowan says. When I ask if Irvine dog lovers will ever get their park, Cowan says, “I think it’s very, very likely.”

That’s where things stand, and Vinet makes it clear her group will believe a dog park when it sees it.

Thus, the stalemate continues.

After visiting Bark Park, I’m optimistic. I can envision a day when Irvine city officials and dog owners can live in harmony, just like those Dalmatians and basset hounds romping in gleeful anticipation of next week’s Happy Howlidays celebration.

*

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail to dana.parsons@latimes.comx