Looking for Free Rein

OXNARD — Oh, to run wild and free.

To be leashless, frolicking in the cool ocean waves and digging in the hot, white sand.

A pretty good dog fantasy--as dog fantasies go.

And it may come true Tuesday, when the Oxnard City Council dares to create the first leash-free zone in Ventura County.

Hoping to satisfy dog-loving residents in the Oxnard Shores neighborhood, the council is expected to approve the leash-free area, a half-mile section of beach north of 5th Street.

The concept is a brave one because a similar plan four years ago raised the ire of Oxnard residents and a recent dog park scheme caused a furor in Thousand Oaks. Nor are county dogcatchers fans of the idea.

But this proposal, supporters say, is different because the no-leash beach is county-owned, unpopulated and away from homes. And signs would warn beach-goers of the romping dogs.

Dog owners in nearby Oxnard Shores are crossing their fingers, hoping that the City Council will approve the plan but also worrying that dog owners might spoil things by not cleaning up after their pets.

“All we can do is hope that people will be responsible,” said Dot Levy, who along with her husband, Gerry, started a petition drive to create the leash-free zone. “It’s really going to be our responsibility to make sure it works.”

The idea began circulating about six months ago when the city’s usually lax enforcement of the leash law at Oxnard Beach Park turned into a relentless pursuit of dog owners following a citizen’s complaint.

“They began ticketing right and left,” Levy said.

And at $100 a pop, dog owners took the leash issue seriously.

So a group of neighbors gathered with Neighborhood Council Chairwoman Bodine Elias to come up with a solution that allows their four-legged roamers to run free.

Elias then asked Oxnard parks director Michael Henderson to come up with a solution. Elias said she has heard few complaints about the new plan, which will be evaluated at the end of the year.

The proposal four years ago turned into a “bitter confrontation” because the no-leash area was directly in front of homes, she said.

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But county Animal Control Director Kathy Jenks said Oxnard is setting itself up for endless problems. There could be dogfights, lost dogs, injured beach-goers and smelly beaches, she said.

“It is going to become an attractive nuisance,” said Jenks, who suggested that the city hire a full-time dogcatcher to make sure the furry pets are spayed and neutered before it opens a no-leash beach. “People are lazy. They just want a place where they can turn their dog out and not walk behind it or clean [poop] up.”

Oxnard Shores resident Don Bright, who enjoys riding his bicycle at the park, said he hopes the plan does not confuse dog owners.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, because it is inconsistent with what is going on,” Bright said. “They know that they have to have a leash.”

But it seems that the most immediate concern for everybody is ensuring that dog owners clean up after their pets.

“Dogs need their space too,” said 25-year resident Nancy Hanson. “It’s the people not the dogs that are the problem.”

Indeed, professional dog walker Julie Rogers said her biggest asset when out with the dogs are those small plastic bags. Nobody, she said, wants to see the beach become a dump.

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“I’m really concerned about the waste,” she said. “In case they go, I’m prepared,” she said, pointing to the white plastic bag tied around the collar of Brubbs--her Australian shepherd mix client.

To help novices and forgetful dog walkers scoop the poop, the city plans to place a plastic bag dispenser at the beach entrance.

Council members are cautiouslyoptimistic.

“I really don’t foresee any problems,” said Councilman John Zaragoza. “I’m sure that those people who run the dogs and exercise them will be responsible individuals.”