why WERE we doing this?

 To solve a growing problem not only for dog owners, but for the community as a whole.

 
What started as a small group of dog owners trying to find a safe space to socialize and exercise their dogs in Allied Gardens quickly became a crowd more than four times its original size. We view our dogs as family members and want to give them the best, and our growing dog park family and lack of dedicated space emphasized the need for a local off-leash dog park.
THE PREVIOS STATUS

There were no dog parks in all of district 7, and desperate dog owners resort to using joint-use fields. These fields, often associated with schools, are open to the public after school hours but are continuous cause for disputes between dog owners, recreational park users and schools.
 
The problem for the schools and recreational park users:
  • Dog poop - yes, there are unfortunately irresponsible dog owners
  • Urine and fecal residue - can’t always be avoided
  • Dogs digging holes - tripping hazards
  • Dogs interrupting sports activities
  • People being afraid of off leash dogs, and much worse, dog attacks
 
The problem for the dog owners:
  • They were not given proper alternatives other than using such joint-use fields to exercise their dogs:
    • Who has the time to sit in the evening traffic to jam to the next closest dog park after work? The closest dog park to Allied Gardens is over a 20 minute drive away without traffic!
    • Who wants their dog to run in a horribly maintained dirt pit? Yes, most city parks are poorly maintained.

​So how do we solve these issues for dog owners and others alike?
 
Establish sufficient, dedicated, safe, properly maintained dog parks that dog owners can use instead of resorting to joint-use fields. Sounds easy, but there was ONE BIG PROBLEM... The City of San Diego dog park regulations are written in a way that makes establishing new dog parks virtually impossible for sponsor groups. This problem still exists. Our community was very fortunate to have our Council Member Raul Campillo understanding this problem and fully stand behind our movement, so it finally came to fruition, fully funded by the City of San Diego.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO DOG PARK REGULATIONS
​
Minimum dog park size: 3 acres
How is that possible in the city of San Diego? The above described problem affects all of San Diego, not only Allied Gardens.

All of the funding to establish a dog park must come from the “Sponsor Group”
We are talking about several $100,000.-- for fencing, grass, sprinkler system,…
The city does not contribute a dime to such a project, even if the community desires such a dog park. Even the initial permit reviewing process is charged at $5,000.-. Such a project is handled the same way as a for profit development, even if it is for the benefit of the community.
  • All maintenance costs are to be covered by the sponsor group.
  • Massive bureaucratic hurdles in dealing with park & rec and the city of San Diego.
  • After establishing a dog park, the city can shut it down after a 1-year trial, with all financial responsibilities left with the sponsor group.
 
While this sounds impossible, we’re ready to take on the challenge to solve a growing problem not only for dog owners, but for the community as a whole.
 
But the status quo is not going to change without community support, which is why we need YOU!