Dogs gone wild Dogs gone wild (June 17, 2005)

Where can Fido find a little freedom?
Carol Bogart

Born to be wild could be the theme song of many dogs, never happier than when off on a romp, nose to the ground. Owners, research shows, often think of their dog as a member of the family. Not a few owners harbor a furtive desire to turn the dog loose to give it a moment or two of freedom.

But, as the saying goes, the freedom to swing your arm ends at the other guy's nose. What some see as indifferent dog owners are causing quite a stir along the Arroyo Mocho Trail. The Arroyo is a gravel path alongside the flood abatement culvert parallel to Parkside Avenue adjacent to the Sports Park.

Property owner Nancy Roach's backyard privacy fence is just feet from the trail. Several times a day, she reports, uncontrolled dogs press their noses against the fence. The intrusion always triggers a spasm of outraged barking from Roach's young German Shepherd, Max.

On occasion, Roach has watched owners make no effort to reign in their dog. Tired from disturbed sleep, made anxious by Max's incessant barking, Roach sometimes confronts owners, telling them that dogs are supposed to be on a leash. Some respond that trails have no leash law.

Not true. In fact, the Pleasanton dog squad - animal control officers Catherine Rush and Roy Ficken - stand ready to hop on a dirt bike and chase down those who ignore the leash law. The penalty, if caught, is severe. One hundred dollars for a first offense, and the fine keeps growing.

Roach notes that even owners whose animals are on legal 30-foot retractable leashes can be a problem. Her fence is nowhere near 30 feet from the trail. Rush points out, "It's not the length of the leash that's the problem." By law, owners must still control their dog.

Rush suggests that dog walkers who know which yards harbor excitable dogs should walk to the far side of the trail, retract their leashes and move quickly past them. Parks director Jim Wolfe said nothing prohibits owners from posting signs on the trail-side of fences requesting that those who use the trail keep dogs away from the fence. The city does not, however, sell to the public the slashed "No dogs off-leash" signs that are posted at trail access points.

Roach reports that, on any given Saturday, off-leash dogs can set yard dogs yapping up to six times, beginning as early as 6 a.m. and lasting until well after sundown. It's like a wave, she relates. From far away, yard dogs begin to yelp, and she always knows when an off-leash dog is coming. She said, "It reverberates down."

Out of consideration for her neighbors, after Roach takes Max outside for his early-morning toiletries, she brings him back in to prevent him from barking at capering canines on the trail.

Wolfe said the city takes seriously off-leash dogs in areas where they aren't allowed. He points to the mauling of other dogs, and children being bitten. Rush said leash laws also protect pets from unpleasant encounters of the car kind.

She adds that part of an animal control officer's job is education. She and her partner will be "more than happy to make contact" with inconsiderate dog owners, she said, if property owners report them.

Roach insists she and other disturbed neighbors aren't trying to bar dog owners from enjoying the trail, they're simply asking for a little respect for those who live beside it. Some, she said, have accused the complainers of a 'not in my backyard' agenda, but points out, "They don't have it in their backyard."
So where can dogs go to run?

Most public areas throughout Pleasanton are off-limits to off-leash dogs, although non-aggressive, well-behaved dogs on 30-foot retractable leashes are permitted.

Dogs are not permitted off-leash on the Arroyo Mocho Trail or other trails marked at access points with "No dogs off-leash" signs.

An amendment to the city ordinance now permits off-leash dogs in a designated exercise area in Muirwood Community Park. Dogs are also permitted off-leash on the trail alongside Arroyo Creek in the south area of Shadow Cliffs park as long as they're under voice control. They can swim in the creek, but they are not permitted off-leash in the beach area. At Shadow Cliffs, dogs can also be off-leash up above on the Levee Trail.

In Augustin Bernal Park's 237 acres of open space, dogs can be off-leash anywhere but in the staging picnic area, said Parks director Jim Wolfe. Dogs are also permitted off-leash on the trail on the Ridge, but must remain within 50 feet of the owner and can't go within 100 feet of a picnic or irrigated lawn area. Dogs must instantly return to owners when called.

All owners must carry a leash. Dogs are not permitted off-leash in parking lots, gathering sites or roadways.

One access to Bernal Park is through the Golden Eagle development off of Foothill. Golden Eagle is a gated residential community, but to access the park, residents need only show proof of residence - a driver's license, or utility bill.

Non-residents need to obtain a pass from the parks department at the Civic Center, 200 Old Bernal Ave. Across from the library, look for a white trailer marked Parks and Community Services.

Dogs off-leash are barred from playing fields at the Sports and Recreation Community Park and Val Vista Community Park.

By ordinance, those who violate dog-at-large laws face hefty fines: Ą $100 for a first offense Ą $200 for a second offense Ą $500 for the third offense Ą $750 for the fourth offense and up

For more information, call (925) 931-5340. To download Pleasanton trail maps, visit the city's Web site, www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/

To learn where dogs can run in other East Bay Regional Parks besides Shadow Cliffs, visit ww.ebparks.org/dropdown/dogs.htm. -Carol Bogart

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