LONG BEACH RECREATION DOG PARK ASSN.
ABOUT OUR PARK

Last updated Jan. 5, 2004

Our mission

Under a set of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws approved by the general membership in December, 2000, we are nonprofit public benefit corporation whose purpose is to raise funds needed to maintain and enhance the Long Beach Recreation Dog Park, in which pet dogs can exercise without leash restraint in a clean, healthy and safe environment; and to provide charitable contributions for the care and humane treatment of animals.

The association has an agreement with the City of Long Beach to donate materials and supplies for improvements at the Dog Park. The park remains public property and falls under the jurisdiction, rules and regulations of the city and its Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. The association does not author the Dog Park rules -- the City Attorney's Office and the City Council do that; these rules are incorporated into the City Code. Nor does the association serve as policeman or referee at the Dog Park -- the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, the Police Department and the courts do that. A list of emergency procedures is posted on the glass-enclosed Bark Board by the main entrances. A Board of Directors oversees the association, a California nonprofit, public-benefit corporation.

In 2002, the association established the Adabisi-Zoeie Emergency Animal Assistance Fund ("Helping Animals from A to Z") to help a Long Beach family pay its vet bills after their two dogs were shot while resting in their fenced-in front yard. Police said the shooting was in retaliation for the family's efforts to rid their neighborhood from drugs. Additional contributions to the fund are being accepted at our post office box; this money will only be used to assist animal owners in future incidents of this magnitude.

The amenities

The Parks Department maintains a public restroom in the northeast corner of the park. Because of vandalism, a key is required for use. You may obtain a key by writing to our mailing address in the bottom left corner of the home page and enclosing a $5 deposit. (You return the key and you get your $5 back.)

The entire park, which is about 1 3/4 acres, is enclosed with a 5-foot, chain-link fence.There are four sets of double gates -- a separate entrance and exit from the main park at the east end, the entrance to the small-dog park (see below) and set of gates at the far west end.

A third watering station has been installed, complete with gravel for better drainage. We now have one at each end of the main enclosure and one in the little-dog park. Water is also available for two-legged visitors too.

A small section of the park has been enclosed at the east end of the park specifically for small dogs. It has its own gates directly to the parking lot. We also have another small enclosure at the west end of the park for emergencies and to help some owners corral those dogs that just aren't quite ready to go home.

Six large lights, at left, have been installed atop the big poles on the north fence. A better-lighted park will improve safety -- and make the poop easier to find at night! In an effort to save on city resources, the temporary fence that went up so that city crews could work behind will come down when the fencing is needed at another site.

We share a parking lot with the city workers who work at the oil pumping station next door. Two spaces nearest the Dog Park gates have been reserved for handicapped visitors.

Along the fences around the park, you'll find a dozen bag boxes and a few pooper-scoopers. Please help us keep our park clean by not only picking up after your own pet, but doing a little "charity work" while you're at it. We always can use extra bags; please bring your extra bags from home to keep our boxes stuffed.

Just inside the east gate is our Bark Board, a bulletin board of association news and other information. On the south fence is a public bulletin board for anyone who uses the park. One no-no: The city does not permit money-making notices in a public park.

About 20 benches and several tables have been placed throughout the park. We've found that the dogs love to dig under them, so we've found it useful to move them a few feet one way or the other every so often.

The park has become a victim of its own success. Because hundreds of dogs use the park each day, we are unable to grow any kind of grass. (And you know how tough that is at home in just your own back yard.) One suggestion was to close off part of park to give the grass time to recover, but the dogs would destroy in days what would take weeks to grow. An experiment in wood chips met with little success. Our two biggest challenge has been getting the dust under control with watering and ground cover. In the summer of 2000, the association paid for a $5,000 sprinkler system that was installed by city work crews along the perimeter of the fence. While four valves, left, allow the system to be operated in quadrants for a quick spritz, shutoff valves on each sprinkler head, right, enable us to water with two sprinklers at a time for deeper coverage. The system has been a great help in keeping the dust down. Five 360-degree sprinklers were added in February, 2003, to the center of the park. You can see one of them in the standing clay pipe, below.

Our ground cover project is proceeding nicely, with the last installment of the initial layer of decomposed granite spread in spring, 2002. The association raises the money for the granite and city work crews spread it for us, right. We've spent about $24,000 on this project over the past three years. Because this material is heavier than dirt, the dogs don't kick up as much dust, and when it is wet, it drains and packs much better than our natural hard, clay soil.

Warning: We've been told by owners of dogs who are addicted to fetching that gravel is being found in the dogs' digestive systems. We encourage you to wipe the tennis balls off with each throw, consider switching to a frisbee if your dog loves to catch in mid-air, or just toss the ball fewer times on your visits to the park if your best friend is one of those who likes to go mouth-open into the dirt after a ball.

Membership

You do not have to be a member of the association to use the park but the more dog-owners who join and contribute, the better. Although we've received a few hand-me-downs (such as the old bus-stop benches) from the city, the Dog Park does not receive public funds for improvements -- it's up to all of us, through memberships, donations and fund-raisers.

It's easy to join -- and your dog will love you for it. Just print out a copy of our Membership Registration form, fill it out and mail it in!