Carlsbad, the only municipality in San Diego County to prohibit dogs in city parks, wants to be more friendly to canines.
The city has three enclosed, off-leash parks where people’s pooches can run, sniff and yelp to their hearts’ content. And at least one more off-leash area has been proposed.
But elsewhere dogs have been prohibited on Carlsbad’s public trails, parks and beaches since 1972, about 20 years after the city incorporated. On Tuesday, the City Council discussed possible changes.
Police say the law is rarely enforced. When it is, generally one of the city’s two full-time park rangers talks with the pet owner and resolves the situation without a ticket. Still, the law has some residents growling.
“My dog-walking neighbors and friends and I hope you’ll approve a change so we can legally walk our leashed and licensed dogs on the sidewalks in city parks,” said resident Eva Shaw in a March 17 letter to city officials.
“Coco and I feel safe there, as opposed to walking on the side of the roads where it is dangerous, at least in my northwest quadrant with few sidewalks,” Shaw said. “The Chamber of Commerce, as you may be aware, bills Carlsbad as a ‘paws-atively friendly’ city and I ask you to make that the truth by changing the law.”
Some people want the prohibition to be enforced more and others want it enforced less or changed, council members said. They agreed to have staffers prepare new regulations and bring them to the council for approval. No date was set for a decision.
“The biggest complaint that I get is about the beach,” said Councilmember Teresa Acosta. “They want to bring their dog to the beach to play on the sand, and Frisbee, and in the water with their dog. I say … in most of Carlsbad, the beaches are not ours. They are state beaches, and you can’t have the dogs on the beaches.
“They bring them anyway, all the time,” Acosta said, and she often tells people about the nearest beach that allows dogs in Del Mar.
One of the most often heard complaints is about owners who fail to clean up after their pets.
“The other big thing that I hear about is from a lot of my seniors, that they have been attacked by off-leash dogs while walking their little dogs,” she said.
“We are in a new culture when it comes to having pets,” said Councilmember Kevin Shin.
“People are able to fly with their dogs, they are able to be in a hotel with their dogs, and they can eat at a restaurant with their dog,” Shin said. “We are at that state now where we should make some rules.”
Pets probably should be prohibited at special park events such as birthdays and concerts, he said. Also, areas where pets are allowed should be clearly posted with signs requiring people to clean up after their animals.
Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel said that while she is a dog owner, she has no strong feelings one way or another on allowing pets in parks. She and Acosta both said they would like to see a financial analysis with any proposed changes.
“I do want to know what the final cost might be,” Bhat-Patel said.
All 17 other cities in San Diego County allow leashed dogs in parks, although Escondido and Coronado have certain parks where they are not, said Kyle Lancaster, Carlsbad’s parks and recreation director.
Carlsbad opened its first off-leash dog area at Larwin Park in 2000. A second opened at Alga Norte Park in 2013, and a third at Poinsettia Park in 2022.
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