Are City Officials Trying to Close the Huntington Beach Dog Beach in California?

Driving south on Pacific Coast Highway near Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach, you have a spectacular view of the ocean with its crashing waves, sparkling sand and the ever-present surfer. As you climb the hill to where the "Cliffs" begin, you start to notice all of the residents and tourists walking their dogs along the pathway. Then at Goldenwest Street you see it: a table with scattered papers and t-shirts for sale flapping in the wind, strung up between two palm trees like a line of wet clothes hanging to dry. A lone man passes out rules and dog bags to beachgoers walking their dogs. The excited dogs, tails wagging, pulling their leashes, impatient to get to the beach. Welcome to Huntington Beach Dog Beach.

According to Chris Epting of the Huntington Beach Independent, a little over a month ago a letter was sent to Martin Senat, President of Huntington Beach Dog Beach, saying due to complaints, that the stations needed to be cleaned up a bit. The "Preservation Society of Huntington Dog Park, California" tidied them up thinking that this would solve the problem.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago, another letter from the city arrived of a more callous nature. Based on of residents and beachgoers' complaints brought to Huntington Beach city's attention, Jim Engle, the city's community services director, sent a letter on June 15th to the Huntington Dog Beach Preservation Society telling them that they need to clean up the site that they do their sales and collect donations from. "Your information table looks like a garage sale on Bluff Top Park. We are getting complaints about it," Engles said in the letter.

Senat is being told that he needs to take his information stations off Bluff Top Park and onto the beach below. Senat is not happy with this, stating that it goes against what they are trying to accomplish. Their action plan is to get to the beachgoers before they hit the sand, with instructions, rules and free doggie bags for clean up. Putting the stands down onto the beach would make them unseen to passerbys.

11 years ago, when the Dog Beach was just starting out, Huntington Beach city officials gave the organization their permission to set up booths at Bluff Top Park overlooking the Huntington Beach Dog Beach to use for collections of donations, and the distribution of literature and rules. What was once a small operation has grown into a massive venue for dog owners to enjoy the beach with their furry friends. The Huntington Beach Dog Beach has become an idyllic beach location for pet owners from all over the United States. It is an example that other beach cities have started to follow in their own areas.

Over the years, the Huntington Dog Park has promoted a pet-friendly city that includes the Park Bench Cafe in the midst of Huntington Beach Central Park that also serves meals for dogs, and the Huntington Beach Dog Park located on Edwards Street, on the northern end of Huntington Beach Central Park. Huntington Beach residents are well known for toting their dogs around town with them on the weekends and the city caters to this trend.

Per the Huntington Beach Wave, the Preservation Society of Huntington Dog Beach, California spends about $10,000 per month on clean up supplies, website, postage and attorneys. 90% of this comes from donations that are collected at the booths on Bluff Top Park.

An email campaign to supporters of the Huntington Beach Dog Beach were scheduled to be sent out last Wednesday with the title "Dog Beach is threatened with closure" but the city denies threatening to close the beach. They say they are just trying to create cooperation between the city, the Preservation Society and the residents to clean up the site.

The Dog Beach is a wonderful attraction for the city but it may be time that Huntington Beach and the Preservation Society come to a mutual agreement. The Society has done spectacular things promoting and maintaining the beach and perhaps it is the city's turn to give the Society permanent booths or a location to set up the business of fundraising at the beach. No one wants to see the Dog Beach go away but the residents also want Bluff Top Park on Pacific Coast Highway to look nice as well. Hopefully they will come to an understanding so that our dogs can continue to be the happiest dogs in Orange County.