dog beach: August 2011 Archives

We saw this email today from Maureen Megowan, who with her husband, Bruce, have been trying to establish an off-leash dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula:

As you may have read, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is asking for public input regarding the use of the stretch of beach below the Trump National Golf Course that the public has been using as an off leash dog beach.  This use is against current city ordinances requiring dogs to be on a leash and that dogs are not now allowed on the beach. This issue was discussed at Tuesday night's city council meeting  .... where my husband Bruce spoke in favor of maintaining the beach as an off leash dog beach. ...  

I wanted to let you know the contact numbers at RPV for people to voice their opinion regarding what to do with the dog beach that has developed below Trump:  Main number - 310-544-5260  Katie Howe - 310-544-5267 The PV News mistakenly gave the City of Palos Verdes Estates phone number for input. You can also send an email to the city council members at  CC@rpv.com  .. These emails are read by the council members and are extremely important in developing their sense of the public opinion on this issue.

I would encourage you to indicate that you are for the continued use of the Trump beach as an off leash dog park, at least on certain selected days, and that you also believe that there is also a need for a separate dog park facility that is more readily accessible and separates large dogs from small dogs.

If you're interested in the effort, contact:



See this online article for more information, and another piece on the issue.

And here's our earlier post.

** Meeting is tonight:  7 p.m. Tuesday 8/16 at RPV City Hall, Hesse Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd.

For several years now, the rustic strand of beach below the Trump National Golf Club has
become an unofficial, off-leash dog play and exercise area. Because it's so remote -- getting in and out requires some up and down hiking skills along the cliffs -- citations were seldom handed out to dog owners who were violating the law by taking their dogs onto the beach.

Dogs on the beach are illegal -- on leash or off-leash -- under RPV city ordinances. And things may get a little harder for dog owners who have been sneaking onto the secluded spot since at least 2008 for a carefree romp along the shore with their best friend.

At 7 p.m. tonight (8/16), the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council is slated to launch a public outreach process to determine the future use of the beach. No decision is expected tonight on the 24-acre ocean property.

An average of 76 canines were counted on July weekend days, according to the staff report.

Staff is recommending that the city conduct a public outreach/feedback effort and assess the "pros and cons of dog beaches" before making a decision. Keeping it open to dogs would require a change in the city's law, however. And dogs on beaches have traditionally encountered opposition in many communities.

Ownership of the beach was transferred to the city by Trump in May, triggering the assessment.

Tonight's meeting will be at City Hall, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. There may be opportunity for  public comment. Here's a link to the staff report.