UPDATE: LT told us for now dogs will be allowed on boardwalk from Nov 1 - Memorial Day But that is JUST the boardwalk - no grassy areas. From Memorial Day to Oct 31st, no dogs on the boardwalk on weekends and holidays 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.
As rogue vending and homeless sleeping in the park after midnight are getting the new ordinances enforced, dog-owning locals are about to feel the pinch too as LAPD is now enforcing a long-standing but rarely enforced rule of NO dogs in the park, EVER.
Unless specifically designated by City ordinance, no Los Angeles City Parks allow dogs at all. Venice has luxuriously basked in a lack of enforcement on the issue. Now that the boardwalk has been deemed part of the park, and with the insane amount of transients that have dogs… the old law is getting new life through enforcement. Lt. Kreeft told us there are people trying actively to enforce the ban on the boardwalk as well, and this is a very active effort. The ban in the park grassy areas also has the nice side-effect of booting the dog-having transients elsewhere.
So, while this is going to piss a whole lot of people off… like me… who walk my dogs in the park every day… we just took our last walk and will now find another place for our daily walks. It will be nice to not have as much un-picked up poo in the park as a result.
LAPD told me this will be enforced… so if you want to complain… start at the Council office because for now - tickets will be written!
Embracing these new ordinances and enforcements for the sake of removing the transient population now will not create a situation where we can simply return to the old laws and/or old enforcement once we’ve created preferred circumstances that are somewhat more appealing to certain groups. It’s virtually impossible to reverse or remove a law that’s been in place because ‘crime is down’ or ‘the homeless campgrounds are gone.’ The Venice dog community is a major part of what makes the beach community so unique and neighborly, and I find it incredibly disappointing that our city council in partnership wtih the police are incapable of finding an alternative solution to the transient issue without trampling on the rights and freedoms of other residents who do obey dog defecation laws and respect others. The number of transient people with dogs who will be removed or displaced (likely to underneath my apartment) is far less than the law-abiding citizens who will have the quality of their lives impacted by this enforcement. I live on a beach walk street and I now already am forced to walk on Speedway with no lights and no sidewalk if I’m coming home between the hours of 12-5am (while as a taxpayer, I still pay for the lights to shine brightly on OFW where no one is allowed). Now I’m not allowed to walk my dog in what is equivalent to my own backyard? What’s more disturbing is this new slippery slope of just slapping on another ordinance when we want to get rid of a particular group of people. A lot of homeless people carry backpacks; will we start banning backpacks from OFW? Drinking alcohol isn’t allowed on the beach, so should we just ban coolers altogether? Come to Venice, tourists - we no longer have homeless camps, but bring your checkbook because the list of violations you’re likely going to commit by just being present on the beach is endless: don’t come anywhere near here at night, don’t bring your pet, and don’t throw a frisbee or football or else we’ll levy you a fine double the amount of running a red light. The Venice I once loved has become a ridiculous place more for the draconian approach to crime fighting than the homeless population. What a shame.
No way am I gonna stop my runs with my dog on the beach. This is supposed to be a free country!! I’ve lived here forever, and I don’t care what the hell they say, my doggie never leaves his poo, he’s a stand up citizen, and he will not have his rights pooped on! Good luck with this lapd
Woof Woof I am glad the crusties and the crustie dogs are gone
It is worth it to get the crusty’s out of Venice. I will miss walking my dog down the boardwalk but this too will pass. We let our community go to S**t, so it will take some drastic scrubbing to wipe off the taint!
The beach Crusty’s had spread the diseases Girardia (sorry if I’ve misspelled this) and Kennel cough
Maybe in time once the place is cleared of the human detritus and their waste then maybe we can all enjoy the community as responsible adults! Yes, it was quite hard to type that with a straight face.
Hope you people in the canals are ready for a lot more paw traffic:)
It occurred to me today we were probably going to see more traffic this way, just please, please pick up after your dogs. So-o-o tired of having to dodge “bombs” left behind, dodging duck poop is bad enough
BTW- I am a boardwalk resident who owns two friendly dogs and has lived here for 10 years.
For years there has been no apparent authoritative consideration:
1.That illegal breeders bring dogs and sell on OFW all day everyday.
2. In daylight pawned puppies are peddled on OFW
3. Our own dogs/pets are also stolen from our yards and homes
3. No mention of control over dogs that are non resident but present all summer during the “off dog time period” smothering the boardwalk.
I have seen some of those crusties off leach the other day on OFW.
A little clarity needed on this….
Does this constitute the ENTIRE boardwalk, from SM to Washington? I live a block from the beach and the section south of Venice to Washington is a regular walk route, with some occasional off leash time in the grassy areas around 25th and 26th.
Also, if we are concerned with having the boardwalk homeless in the park, how are we going to feel about them sleeping in our neighborhoods now that they will get tickets in the park? What is safer for everyone really?
Was told just now by LAPD that is all park property. No dogs and dogs are never allowed off leash in the City of LA so the grassy area from Venice S to Washington are off limits to dogs.
You mean “off leash time” in the areas DIRECTLY UNDER the signs that say “Dogs on leash”?