Ventura Dogs Take Path of Leash Resistance

They used to be outlaws, these four-legged fuzz balls romping at Camino Real Park in Ventura.

But that was before a pack of dog lovers pressed for a public place where their pets could sniff and socialize and chase each other in circles until their sloppy tongues fell out.

A month after portions of two city parks went to the dogs on a trial basis, organizers of Ventura’s first off-leash recreation areas say the pooch-oriented playgrounds have been a big hit.

And as long as the dogs--and their owners--stay on their best behavior, they think they have a good shot at turning the six-month pilot programs into permanent park fixtures.

“We’re really monitoring ourselves because we want this to work,” said Annie Dransfeldt, a founding member of the Ventura Dog Owners Group, as spirited canines whirled like dust devils around her.

“You see every one of them has smiles on their faces,” Dransfeldt said. “They say dogs don’t feel emotion. Well, of course they do.”

The Ventura group is one of dozens organized across the state in recent years to lobby for play space as community parks have become more crowded and leash laws more restrictive.

The pro-pooch movement, dedicated as much to the concept of canine liberation as the pursuit of responsible dog ownership, is quickly gaining momentum.

One Web site, dogpark.com, lists more than 600 dog parks nationwide--more than three times the number listed in 1998. California lists nearly 100 parks from San Rafael to San Diego.

Ventura County already has dog parks in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard. And last month state parks officials selected San Buenaventura State Beach as the site for potential development of one of the first off-leash areas in the California parks system.

In the city of Ventura, doggie duty is split between Camino Real and Arroyo Verde parks. The play areas opened Jan. 17 and as many as 100 dogs a day have visited since then.

Dogs can only be off-leash in designated areas and during set hours. City officials say they have received few complaints.

“So far so good,” said parks manager Mike Montoya, who in coming months will evaluate the program for city leaders so they can decide whether to keep it going.

“The Ventura dog owners group has been an important part of this process,” Montoya added. “They’ve been our eyes and ears.”

On a recent afternoon, on a U-shaped patch of grass at Camino Real strewn with slobbery chew toys, there were plenty of both to go around. Dozens of canines frolicked at the park’s west end as their owners kept watch.

There were dogs of all shapes and sizes, including a coal-black Newfoundland mix named Cosmo, so big and furry he looked like a bear, and a sad-eyed Shar-Pei named Pudge, who sported so much loose skin it cascaded down his body in flabby folds.

The off-leash area is tucked between ball fields and the barranca that slices behind the park, and is posted with signs detailing hours and rules.

Visitors are greeted by monitors who check in each dog and make sure owners watch out for rough play, keep dogs from wandering and pick up after them should nature call.

Later arrivals are sure to be mobbed by a pack of curious canines, tails wagging and snouts ready to sniff.

“We just love it here,” said east Ventura resident Marguerite Hirsch, who drives 15 minutes each day so that her dogs, Guinness and Sadie, can exercise and socialize. “They have the whole backyard and the run of the house, but they just can’t get the good run they need.”

The push to permit off-leash exercise areas began last summer following a fight between dog owners and a sports enthusiast who complained about unruly dogs. Afterward, Ventura police began cracking down on untethered canines, handing out a flurry of $135 tickets at parks and other public areas.

Dog owners were not about to take that lying down. They began holding monthly meetings aimed at lobbying leaders for a share of the city’s green space.

“We used to be criminals,” said Dransfeldt of the days before the play areas were created, when she and others would set their dogs loose.

“It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it. We are all devoted to our animals.”

The dog park activists aren’t done yet. If city leaders make the play areas permanent, the dog owners want to start looking for ways to fence their animals off and provide drinking fountains.

They also want to see if dog owners who live near other neighborhood parks want to establish similar play spaces.

It has made all the difference to Maxine George. The retired real estate property manager brings a black ball of fur named Nicky to Camino Real’s dog park each day.

The pint-sized poodle mix barely weighs more than the collar and tags jangling around his neck. But he has a big dog’s mentality, running and jumping with the biggest of breeds until he grows tired and leaps into George’s lap, his tiny tail swishing like a windshield wiper.

“Walking him on a leash around the neighborhood was just totally unsatisfactory,” she said. “Now, all I have to do is say, ‘It’s park time,’ and he’s waiting for me at the door.”

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FYI

Ventura’s dog parks are open during the following hours:

Camino Real Park (Dean Drive and Varsity Street)--seven days a week, 3 p.m. to dusk.

Arroyo Verde Park (Foothill and Day roads)--Tuesday through Friday, 6 to 9 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 6 to 8 a.m.