Willow Glen Resident
News
County plans two new dog parks after getting input from residents
By Eli Segall
Santa Clara County is planning to build two new dog parks in an effort to boost canine access to public fields and trails.
To hear residents' ideas on dog park expansion, management and safety, the county's parks and recreation department will hold an open forum March 13. Ideas formulated will be presented to the county's Parks and Recreation Commission on April 4, and then sent to parks department director Lisa Killough for approval.
"We want to expand the use of dogs in all county parks," said parks department deputy director Joe Schultz. "We also want consistency in our dog parks policies."
The parks department--which operates three off-leash dog areas in Los Gatos, Milpitas and South San Jose--also aims to increase on-leash access. Of the 28 county parks, four prohibit on-leash dogs, six offer limited play areas, and the remaining grant leashed dogs access everywhere except playgrounds and areas of natural habitat. There is also a new off-leash dog park in Campbell off the Los Gatos Creek Trail near the fly-fishing casting ponds.
The two planned parks will be located near Penitencia Creek in northeast San Jose and near the Morgan Hill-Gilroy border, Schultz said. No opening dates have been announced.
First built in the valley 10 years ago, dog parks have steadily gained popularity. Dog-lover Janice Wakimoto regularly visits Jeffrey Fontana Dog Park. Wakimoto, who jokingly described her two dogs as "half terrier, half juvenile delinquents," uses the park daily. Although she was glad to hear about the county's plans to expand canine access in the area, Wakimoto doesn't plan on straying from her neighborhood park.
"People here like to socialize among their neighbors," Wakimoto said. "Otherwise, you might never get to know the people in your area."
A secure space for dogs to run and play offers health and social benefits to the animals, said Laura Fulda, vice president of communications for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. But the benefits do not end there; dog parks help form a lifelong bond between dogs and their owners, which can prevent animal abandonment, Fulda said.
Earlier this month, the Humane Society recovered two 12-year-old golden retrievers abandoned in a hotel room, she added.
To increase dog parks and curtail abandonment, the Humane Society is planning to build a $25 million animal community center in Milpitas. The center will offer temporary boarding, day care and play areas, Fulda said.
The county's new dog parks and the push for expanded access helps satisfy requirements detailed in the parks department's strategic plan, released in August 2003.
The March 13 meeting will be held at 70 W. Hedding St., first floor, San Jose. For more information, call 408.355.2200, or email Joe.Schultz@prk.sccgov.org.
