Huntington to Reconsider Allowing Dogs on Beach

Citing health concerns, Huntington Beach officials said Thursday they are considering whether to close or limit access to the city’s dog beach, one of two in Orange County.

The city has requested a study to determine whether dog droppings and urine pose a health risk to humans, especially small children who might touch or even ingest contaminated sand.

“I don’t want to see it close” to dogs, said Jim Engle, Huntington Beach’s director of community services, of the beach. “But we can’t have a situation that’s unhealthy for our general public.”

Dog owners are rallying to keep access to the area, three-fourths of a mile from 21st Street to Seapoint Avenue. Some people drive from as far as Los Angeles County so their pets can romp in the surf.

“I shudder to think about [the dog beach] closing,” said Stu Black, who drives twice a week from Long Beach so that Max, a 3-year-old mixed breed, can play ball on the sand. “The city will definitely be making a mistake. . . . The problems that exist are all solvable. If the city could just meet us halfway, then it would all work out.”

Many dog owners say they are doing their part to clean up behind their pets.

“It’s our feeling that the city has gone on a fishing expedition to close the beach,” said Martin Senat, president of the Preservation Society of Huntington Dog Beach.

Members of the preservation group are puzzled over the city’s concerns, Senat said. “Anyone can see it’s clean down there.”

After a number of complaints about dog droppings on the beach, the group formed in early 1998 to organize volunteers and raise money to hire cleanup crews. The group has taken over the expense of buying dog-waste cleanup bags, which had been provided by the city.

Volunteers are willing to do more, Senat said, and “we have the manpower to clean up.”

The group’s efforts have improved sanitation at the beach, city officials said, but not enough.

“The group has done an excellent job,” Engle said. “But it’s physically impossible for them to be there all the time.”

Officials say they have heard sporadic complaints from beachgoers and joggers on the adjacent bike path that dog waste is not being removed.

“If all dogs were on a leash, it’s workable,” said Steve Seim, captain of marine safety for Huntington Beach.

But an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled last year that leash laws do not apply to dogs romping in the surf or running on wet sand. That has opened the door for dog owners to be more lax in supervising their pets, Seim said, and less likely to notice droppings and clean them up.

Dog aggression also has been a problem on the beach, Seim said. Last year there were four incidents of dogs biting people, he said, and one incident in 1997 in which a large dog fatally bit and shook a smaller dog.

After completion of the study by the Orange County Department of Health, the city will hold a public hearing March 10 so residents can comment on the issue. The Community Services Department will then make a recommendation to the City Council.

Council member Shirley S. Dettloff said the outcome ultimately rests with dog owners. “Health and safety will weigh in very heavily,” she said. “If [owners] are maintaining the safety of the beach, we’ll probably look at it in a favorable light.”

The county’s other dog beach is in Newport Beach, but the rules are different there: Animals are allowed only during certain hours.