Santa Cruz in the Dog House

Are you ready for your morning fiber of small-town politics?

Well, you're about to get a stomach-full!  Below is a letter I wrote this morning to my city council, county board of supervisors, the local newspapers, and the State Dept. of Parks and Recreation.

I live in Santa Cruz, which is known for its surfing, university, produce farms, natural beauty— and toxic real estate prices.  (I have lots to say about all those topics, too).

But today, I'm in full battle-mode about a locals' issue close to my heart: our special park by the sea, called Lighthouse Field, that up 'til now, has had "leash-free" dog walking hours from dawn to 10 am, and 4 pm to dusk. It's the last six hours of civilization left in this town!

Read on:

Dear Bigshots Who Could Do Something About This,

There is  one hour of my day that has always been the sweet spot. It's about to get the ax.

That hour is our family’s daily dog walk at Lighthouse Field and Its Beach. It is the single most civilized, wholesome, social space in the entire town. It is a unique social climate in this town, a model for decent behavior.

And now it’s being closed down. No more off-leash walks. People who bring their dogs at 6 AM on November 15 are to be given citations. Dog-walkers are now criminals who have been charged with ruining a community asset. How could such a short-sighted decision be allowed to stand?

We all know the ugly social and economic issues this city is up against. The future has looked so dark lately. The “dog walk hours”  at the Field have been one of the few bright spots in the midst of our troubles, an oasis of cooperation and generosity.

Every day for five years, our family has been part of the Lighthouse Field dog crowd,  in all kinds of weather. We come at dawn or at dusk. We pick up the poop, we talk about the weather, and the changing seasons. We call each other by our dog’s names: I’d be Mrs. Cody, to many who know me there.

The decision to close the park to the ones who enjoy it the most, is unconsciousably cruel. There are many folks for whom this is their only exercise and social connection to our community. What are we supposed to do now? 

Dogs familiar with the park cannot simply be “put on a leash,” to follow the new rules.  They won’t understand, and will assume they’re being punished. Frankly, that’s exactly how it feels to me.

Before my family adopted a puppy, I was afraid of dogs. I was the type who emitted the “fear” smell that dogs pick up on so quickly. I’d never been to Lighthouse Field, or anywhere where a dog might be around, on leash or not.

But my young daughter was an animal-lover, and had gone to great lengths to prove that she was ready to raise a dog. I decided to get educated, and address my phobia.

What I learned about dog was a revelation. Phrases like “puppy love” and “man’s most loyal companion” took on new significance. I saw that dogs offer something to humans that we don’t consistently give each other: unconditional faithfulness and affection, desire to do good, and putting the group’s interest above all.  I'm saying this as a die-hard cat person who finds these traits remarkable in human beings, let alone animals.

These characterisitics seem to be the opposite of the city and state’s recent decision, where bureaucracy and insensitivity rule the roost, letting the bitter chips fall where they may.  A handful of well-financed litigants paved the way for this decision, and their agenda is the pinnacle of bullying. The quality of people’s lives has been hurt in a way that won’t go unnoticed, or unpaid for.

What have been the objections to the leash-free hours at the Field?

Of course we hear about abused and neglected animals who are dangerous to themselves and others. The pit bull in Live Oak who’s trying to kill the mailman, or the monstrosity in the San Francisco apartment complex. They’re the headline grabbers— and you’ll notice they’re not part of our park. 

Dangerous animals aren’t the kind of pets that get taken for nice walks at Lighthouse Field!  People who chain their dog up all day at their meth lab aren’t taking a stroll at Its beach with an extra bottle of water, and cookie treats! "

My dog has never been in a fight at the Field, in five years of daily visits. The worst thing I’ve witnessed was minor orneriness, between people, not dogs, over the disposition of a chewed tennis ball.

The people who oppose leash-free hours are a mystery to me. I never see them in the park. I don’t see them enjoying it during the “non-dog” hours. They certainly don’t come out in the cold or rainy weather. Are they afraid of dogs, as I once was? Are they misanthropes who have adjacent homes and want a view with “no people” in it? I get the feeling they dislike people more than dogs. Without the dogs, they know they’ll get rid of the people. The park is otherwise barren.

The environmental concerns have always been a nonstarter. The butterflies? Well, the first thing you need to know about butterflies is that they are attracted to feces. They would probably like it better if the dog owners of Lighthouse Field weren’t so dedicated to cleaning up things with our plastic bags.

The other flora and fauna? The gophers seem to thrive despite the desperate attempts of the dogs to catch them. It is a city park, not a long-lost wilderness.

The other regular guests to the park? Now that you’ve gotten rid of those goody-two-shoes dog walkers, your main population will be the beer drinkers and pot-tokers— who, up ‘til now, have been on THEIR best behavior because the dog-people created such straighten-up-and-fly-right peer pressure. You take Lassie and Rin Tin Tin out of the equation, and with it, goes the wholesomeness.

Where do we take our dogs who’ve been accustomed to off-leash exercise? What’s the alternative?  Without decent exercise, these animals turn on themselves:  they chew holes in their fur, worry themselves with bad habits, can’t settle down at home. It makes the family miserable. I have a 80 lb. mutt, not a teacup poodle. He’s a teacup Newfoundland. 

This decision is hurting so many people and animals who “never hurt anyone” and only brought social courtesy and comradeship to this city. What cold winter are you looking forward to with an empty Lighthouse Field?  Why is the City determined to cannibalize this rare good spirit?

Many of us recently turned out at the Lighthouse to mourn the death of Dan Houston, the beloved city Parks and Rec. ranger who knew every dog and visitor to the Field.

I remember looking at the mourners, and thinking, “I’ve never seen these folks except for our walks; I’ve never seen them without their dogs.” I know very few of them by name, and yet I could have hugged any one of them.  We have a kinship and history that is remarkable, and to think it is being destroyed by this Scrooge-like executive order is nothing less than a human sacrifice. What does it take to turn this awful decision  around and make it right again?

Susie Bright

Photos, from top to bottom: Cody as a puppy; Aretha, Susie, & Cody in front of mural in Pt. Townsend; Ducky Doolittle & Cody; Cody and Xiao Bond, International Meow of Mystery; and Cody and I in the Field.

Comments

[Kate Black]

Is it time for a Critical Mass w/ dogs? What could one call that -- Critical Woof? A wag in?

I hope that the city comes to it's senses, or at least sends dog-loving, sympathetic cops out for patrol. I loved your letter. I was also a cat person for a long time (I still am!) but recently discovered how much I love dogs as well. I live in NYC and have too busy a lifestyle to have a big ol' doggie of my own, so I'm entirely dependent on dog-friendly public space for my interactions with pooches.

[Zajal]

What a sensible, even sweet, letter! My instinct would be to rage, and that would only confirm the anti-dog bigots' feelings that dogs (and their human companions) are a danger to orderly society.

One of the worst things about children's fears is the terror of dog bites, a fear not shared by kids who grow up playing with dogs (and yes, are often "bitten," but never harmed). It is a great thing to witness the change that comes over a child when she first realizes that dogs LOVE people. Parents who nurture the fear are really reliving their own bad upbringing and dumping it on their progeny.

I wonder if this gentle protest will get the re-hearing it deserves?

[rosewood]

I tried to find a place to buy more "I love dogs and I vote" stickers but haven't found it yet.

The lighthouse dog community has its own website, naturally.
This page has photos of my friends JoAnna and Emily.

http://www.lighthousedogs.com/events.html

You need to read Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin. It is an excellent book that speaks, among other things, about this subject. Being able to socialize a dog so it is comfortable with other animals is not an option, it is essential for the mental health of the dog and the safety of those around it. Dogs that are not socialized with other dogs and animals as puppies can become very violent when they are exposed to them as adults. Even a dog that is well behaved among people can go bezerk when it meets strange dogs or cats. We are not doing the dogs or even the people any favors by raising dogs that are likely to bolt and bite someone because they weren't raised properly.

Temple Grandin's web page:
http://www.grandin.com/

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743247698/102-2391694-8632104?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance

Hopefully her book can get you some ammunition to support your argument.

[MMWD]

I'm so sorry to hear this! We recently moved out of town, but Lighthouse Beach was always our favorite dogspot, and even the REDUCTION of the off-leash hours was frustrating - I can't believe they're going to eliminate them. IDIOTS. I hope all those people with the "I like dogs and I vote" bumper stickers clear out everyone who voted for this in the next elections.

[Lisa Williams]

Politicians in small towns and smallish cities are very sensitive to heat. The reason that the off-leash hours got cut is because a few people with a beef went to the town council meeting and hollered about it during the public forum section of the meeting.

How do they know that those people represent a majority of residents?

They don't -- so it's entirely possible for the town/city councillors, by being "nice" to these people who show up, to be a jerk to many more people who didn't.

The good news is that it works in reverse. Go to a meeting and gripe. Loudly. Angrily. It works. You have to go in person, though: the shaming only works if it's public. A letter can be tucked in a drawer. (The fact that you sent it as a letter to the editor is good, but nothing substitutes for in-person griping).

Also, call the animal control officer and ask how many licensed dogs there are. Ask him/her to estimate how many unlicensed dogs. Then say, you're hurting X thousands of pet owners with this, and you know how we feel about our dogs.

Bring the heat.

[Mermaid]

Right on! I moved form much more dog friendly San Francosco, CA to South Florida and really miss the abundance of lease free and dog parks. But then we have paradise weather...
Glad you are being vocal about it.

[Sandrino]

Katrina, Wilma, yeah paradise weather, indeed. Having uninterrupted electric power is over rated anyway. Still, I prefer hurricanes to earthquakes. At least you can see the hurricanes coming.

[C.S. Lewiston]

Didn't Temple Grandin also give a series of lectures on learning disabilities?

Speaking of criminally overpriced housing, woe unto the resident of Ithaca, New York who isn't a tenured Cornell U. or Ithaca Colege professor, a trust fund baby or an idle rich kid/student. Most of the houses there look like any you'd see in upstate NY, except that they cost 2 or 3 times what they'd cost elsewhere. Rents are downright Manhttanesque. I have a friend who has business in Ithaca who has to drive from a one-intersection-town half an hour to the west because she cannot afford to live in town. But who am I to criticize? This is America. Greed is good.

As for your dog situation, I hope that you can get the city fathers to extract their heads from whatever bodily orifices they've gotten them jammed up inside of.

[fierce]

hey susie!
this is that ugly mug worker who you met at that WAMM dinner-thing...
the lighthouse thing is terribly close to my heart, specifically because for the past two years i've been employed as a dogsitter to two high-strung and intelligent basenjis who NEED lighthouse.
a few things, however:
the park's off-leash hours will end on Nov 15th... 2007. this small fact was omitted on TV coverage of the issue, but was in the sentinel. odd, no, that this fact was omitted?
the city is actually not responsible for the off-leash policy being suspended. rather that small vocal group who are anti the off leash policy convinced the state to take over the park when the city's contract runs out in 2007. the state sees the park's policy as environmentally unfriendly, and the only way to keep the off-leash policy is if the city finances an environmental audit of the policy, which our fair city council has deemed too expensive.
and there you have it.

[Susie Bright]

I just found out this AM about the date thing, too. Arrgh! Thank you, local media! Everything that gets "reported" in Santa Cruz is missing half the pertinent info. I feel a little bit like a dope, but from what I understand from FOLF, the battle is in progress, and my letter-writing is as appropriate now as any time.

[Dia]

I totally sympathize with your blog today.
We, doglovers and dogs here in the Netherlands are also being pushed away.

I used to walk with my dog in a park and there was a beautiful wild piece where she was always chewing on dead wood and I could sit on a bench and have a smoke.
All of a sudden it was forbidden for dogs.
How can you explain that to a deaf dog?

[Martha Garvey]

Susie, what a great letter. I, too, was a dog-fearer before I became a dog owner, and, boy, what a life changer! Keep on fighting.

[Betsy]

Susie ---

Thank you so much for your letter and posting!

Regarding the bumper stickers, anyone can have one for free (for as long as they last :-)). Friends of Lighthouse Field will be hosting a clean-up this Saturday in the park between 8-10am. Come on by and pick-up a bumper sticker and chat. Oh..and giving a hand picking up bottles, trash, cigarette butts and other junk is always appreciated.

Regarding the field, the community of people who use LFSB for off-leash recreation with their dogs has been around for 50+ years (and yes this is documented) – regardless of past policies and rules. Like most of you, I am going to continue to use the field as I have in the past. And, I am going to keep the regular hours (before 10am and after 4pm) and going to continue to pick-up after my dogs, meet with my friends and enjoy our park. Look....the State Parks don’t have extra staff to patrol this park – so I plan to keep doing what I have been doing for years.

On the off chance that I get a ticket, I plan to bring it to court and contest it. My view is that that State hasn’t taken the right steps to study the impact of this decision. So, I am planning to continue to use the park and fight for our continued rightful use.

Meanwhile, I know FOLF (www.folf.org)is continuing to continuing to work with City and State officials and to take action when absolutely needed to defend the rights of this community.

Use by this community of LFSB for off-leash recreation is a significant benefit to the safety and cleanliness of LFSB. Many are dedicated to ensuring that this community is not going being destroyed.

Betsy

[j Golder]

The facts are that the City of Santa Cruz Parks & Rec has had THIRTY YEARS to create a realistic legal CEQUA solid park master plan while their Joint Operating Agreement of 1978 with State Parks (who paid the $12 million for the properties)was still in effect.

Neither former director Jim Lang, nor present Dir Danettee Shoemaker nor P & R Planner Sue Harris have been responsible enough to do the job right. Every civil serpent and politician involved have kicked this around for THREE DECADES posing as environmentalists while ignoring the real COMMUNITY PARK needs of Santa Cruz and its many visitors.

Remember that the "progressive" City of SC has only built ONE new community park (Depot Park) in 38 yrs, despite spending dozens of millions of $$ on greenbelt and median landscaping and 100's of millions on "redevelopment"

What happened at Lighthouse? The State had no legal option except to revert to their earlier master plan and policies when the City dropped the ball. Blame nobody but City P&R administration. The blame goes back 3 decades.

J. Golder 704-7108