COSTA MESA

Dozens of dog lovers crowded into City Hall last week to express their displeasure at the use of mulch, wood chips or bark to cover the city’s dog park.

The open house was held to gather community input on three design proposals for the renovation of the park at Arlington Road and Newport Boulevard. The options also included adding trees, walkways, watering areas and small dog enclosures, but it was the wood chips that dominated discussion.

Dog owners opposed to the use of bark said that the chips are difficult to walk in, get stuck in their dogs’ paws or give them splinters, while absorbing animal waste and serving as a breeding ground for fleas and ticks. Grass is a much better surface for the dog park, they said.