This Dog Blog was created to bring together dog owners that live in Encinitas. Voice your views, your concerns, your questions, your experiences and knowledge


The recent expansion of leash free dog use at neighborhood parks has polarized the community


Hopefully this Dog Blog will develop a constructive dialog between all dog people

Thursday, February 4, 2010

What happened to Orpheus Park?

How could such a great neighborhood park in a cool location get so screwed up? There's an ocean view, a cool playground, a great neighborhood with really groovy people living there, a school attached and a place where neighbors of the park can walk their dogs to run free. What happened?

The park is a bit run down. The grass is patchy, tattered and torn up and very few neighborhood children and families hangout there. There's lots of dogs and lots of dog poop. During leash free dog hours it looks like south bound I-5 on a Monday morning... There's no place to park your car and wall to wall dogs.

Is this the only park in the City of Encinitas like this or is this the standard?

Can anyone justify what's going on?


7 comments:

  1. This is such a beatiful location for a park. I brought my daughter here last summer after we went to the beach at Beacon's and she had a wonderful time. After watching several videos documenting the dog poop and pee in the sand box, on the base of the drinking fountain, and around the picnic tables, I will never bring her here again....sad.

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  2. How are the rules enforced and who is responsible for enforcement? The City? It seems that simple enforcement of the rules would be effective.

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  3. Hi
    My name is Jude. I’m an advocate of properly designed dog parks. I believe this mixed use concept is where so many of the problems lie. Mainly unclean and unsafe for others. Love my dog too, but dogs are dogs and they can still bite and knock people over, especially children. That’s why Orpheus is empty, it’s not a smart destination for families. You are also bound to encounter off leash dogs any time there as days and hours are not enforced by the city. Land use issues are often solved by separation. I could go on and on, but I’ll spare you my two cents.

    I was wondering if you would consider posting the attached article to your blog. I think people in Encinitas need to be educated on what a dog park should be. I think the off leash subset of dog owners have gotten use to the lawlessness in Encinitas. They have claimed these parks now (there are 3 of them) and Encinitas has wasted a ton of money designing nice parks and turning them over to the dogs. Best practices at other cities build dog parks usually in community park settings with parking and low residential effect. Also dog parks are available 7 days week, all hours.

    Thanks and good luck on your blog. I truly hope it is helpful. We do need leadership and proper planning on this issue. Maybe your blog can help with that.

    Best Regards,
    Jude

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  4. Orpheus is no longer a park for all to enjoy. It is now a dog toilet. It is getting overused by dogs. Children can't play freely there without fear of stepping in dog poop or getting knocked over or bit by a dog.

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  5. With 67% of households in this country owning at least one dog, clearly the problem is a numbers problem.

    Limiting the number of parks dogs can go to and corraling them all into one park makes it difficult.

    Off leash time is important for dogs and behavior as well. Dogs do need to run. Even people who run for exercise don't run as fast or hard as dog who is burning off that extra energy.

    Shutting down that outlet for dogs is as bad as trimming back physical eduaction programs in our schools for our children.

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  6. K9 Coach: your a joke. If you do not have a yard to accomadate your dog, get rid of it. Do not expect the tax payers of Encinitas to provide your dog a place to pee and poop.

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  7. The trails around Encinitas Ranch are not patrolled. No Sheriff or Animal Control.

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