Politics & Government

Dog Beach Pilot Program Proposed

The Santa Monica City Council will consider the pilot program at its meeting on Tuesday night.

Could Santa Monica soon be home to the second off-leash dog beach in Los Angeles County? The picture could become more clear on Tuesday night, when the weighs a proposed pilot program.

According to the agenda for the council's meeting, the pilot area would run on an unspecified area of down to the waterline. During the pilot program, the beach and water would be monitored for potential environmental effects.

"We are proposing a pilot program that would allow us to evaluate the impact that an off-leash park might have," Mayor Pro Tempore , who proposed the idea along with Councilman , told Santa Monica Patch on Monday. "We would need state approval to run a pilot program. If the council approves the direction to staff, we hope, with the input of interested stakeholders, to create a proposal that the state will approve."

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If it comes to fruition, the dog beach would be the second Los Angeles County beach area where dogs are allowed to roam without a leash, according to the Los Angeles Times. The other is Rosie's Dog Beach, a three-acre area located in Long Beach.

Proponents include pro-dog group Unleash the Beach, while detractors include water-quality groups concerned with dog feces that could potentially pollute ocean water and make swimmers sick, according to the Times.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here