DOGS are allowed off-leash at the First Street shoreline. File photo
❒ No public park in city allows canines
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Dog Fancy Magazine announced in 2010 that Benicia is fourth in the nation as a dog-friendly city. It even has a “Dog Day” celebration.
But even Benicia has limits on where dogs can go.
For instance, all of Benicia’s city parks are regulated concerning whether dogs are allowed, Benicia police Lt. Frank Hartig said. In most cases dogs aren’t permitted, and those parks have signs telling visitors and residents about the restriction.
Violating those restrictions can be costly. The fine is $800 for a single charge, Hartig said.
Benicia has a designated dog park, named Phenix Park after the police dog that was Hartig’s partner for five years, then was his pet after the dog’s retirement. The two were partners and buddies from 1991-98.
Yet even the dog park, at the northwest corner of Community Park, has some rules, and when dogs are being walked to and from that park they must be leashed, Hartig said.
Though some people like to let their dogs roam at Alvarez Park on West Ninth Street, a popular waterside stop with a boat ramp and fishing pier, those pets aren’t permitted there, Hartig said.
“Our Animal Control officer, Darlene Jelonek, had the city install a new sign on the walkway,” Hartig said. That recently erected sign proclaims the prohibition against dogs in the park.
In fact, all of the city’s public parks have signs posted that dogs are banned, he said. The city has two exceptions: letting dogs walk through Community Park to and from Phenix Dog Park, and allowing them at the First Street Marina Green, he said.
Even for those exceptions, the dogs must be on a leash.
Dogs can be let off-leash to swim along the shoreline at the First Street turnaround, Hartig said.
But residents often take their dogs past the lower First Street sea wall when the tide is out, again to let their dogs romp and swim off leash.
“That’s not allowed,” Hartig said.
Even the leashes are regulated, Hartig said. Dogs must be on a leash 6 feet long or shorter, he said.
So when dog walkers reel out retractable leashes, they’re violating city code, he said.
Police aren’t inclined to stop a dog walker and check the leash length with a tape measure if the length is close to 6 feet, he said, although if violators are spotted, they’re likely to get warnings in hopes of educating the public.
“Our thing is, people have good intentions if they keep the dog on a leash,” he said.
But if the dog or its handler become involved in a separate violation, such as if the dog becomes aggressive, bites someone or attacks another dog, the handler could be charged with having the dog improperly leashed, he said.
That 6-foot leash, he said, usually reminds even aggressive dogs to mind their manners.
More problems occur when the dog isn’t wearing a leash, Hartig said.
“Most dogs that are under control or are on a leash usually aren’t a problem,” he said. “Most dog bites are off-leash.” That could be from willful refusal of a dog’s owner to make his pet wear a leash, or it could happen when a dog escapes a yard or other enclosure.
Jelonek patrols the parks regularly and issues warnings to violators, unless they become habitual scofflaws, Hartig said. The city has increased its patrols in areas that have been problematic in the past.
“For a time, we had a lot of complaints,” he said.
Lately, he said, those calls have declined.
But that may change. “It’s hit or miss.”
Hartig said those with questions could examine the Benicia Municipal Code on the city website or may call Benicia police, 707-746-4333 and speak with Jelonek at extension 117.
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I think most people control their dogs fairly well in Benicia, my only issue is when I walk my way through the mine field of dog poo along Dog DooDoo Drive (1st street) especially hazardous at night
I have a dog and I am religious about cleaning up poop. I will even pick up other’s mesess if my bag can hold it. I wish here were fines for those who do not clean up after their dog!
However, I have lived in beautiful Benicia 18 years and I find it highly dog Unfriendly, as far as rules and regulations go, The dogs and owners are friendly.
I would like to have some designated parks have days each week that dogs are allowed off lease. ie: Mon. Wed Fri. Dogs allowed,
And alternate days that no dogs are allowed. This is being done in other cities in California
I walked around the Community Park a few mornings ago and saw several dogs in the park and none were on their way to the dog park. One guy even let his dog off leash in the middle of the baseball diamond. If you remind them of the park rules they just ignore you.
Wow! So why do people take their dogs off the leash in every benicia park I’ve been too? its crazy that no one tells them anything. People,shame on you!
FYI: Dogs are NOT ALLOWED IN ANY PARK IN BENICIA, except the dog park!!!! There are huge fines if caught. I say: “Shame on this city for claiming to be dog friendly”!!!!
I agree — I have been yelled at for walking my dog across the street, in the cross walk, during a street fair. Guess they wanted me to walk to the other end of the street, cross over, and then walk back down on the other side. (While I watch other people walking down the middle of the street fair with their dogs and no one says anything to them)
Benicia is very Dog UNFRIENDLY. Just because they have ONE designated dog park for dogs to run off leash and they have bags all over downtown to use to pick up dog poop, they think they are dog friendly. Go to Carmel, Palo Alto or even Portland, Oregon and you will see how wonderful these cities are towards Mans best friend.
I’ve never met ANYONE who seriously thought it was a good idea to ban dogs from a park. Most everyone I’ve talked to about the issue seems to think the regulation is absurd. It was always my understanding that cities were supposed to work in the best interest of the people. No? To be the voice of the people? Our public servants don’t seem to be doing what we would like them to do.
Put it to a vote.
I am fine with well mannered dogs running free. It is the massive amount of feces that their owners leave everywhere that offends me. Last Independence Day, my family had to sit atop a layer of dried animal waste to watch the fireworks. It was sickening. I would like to see fines directed toward this.
I am a dog owner and I completely agree that anyone caught not cleaning up after their dog should be fined.
(I also would love to see cigarette smokers who treat the world as their ashtray also be fined. Those filter tips last forever and pile up on the ground looking ugly).
But back to dogs: I recently met a man who told me to watch my step in the park on Dog Day as he pointed at a piece of poop in the grass. He would have spent the next couple hours warning everyone to avoid stepping in it if I had not grabbed a bag and picked it up.
I say to everyone who walks dogs: Get Over It !!! Put a bag put your hand in it, grab the lump, fold the bag over it, tie a knot in it and toss it in the garbage. The world will be a better and cleaner place!
How dare anyone have a dog or walk a dog and not clean up after it ! All dog owners get a bad reputation based on those who leave a mess.
I will vote for fines for not cleaning up. No warnings, just fines for every infraction. What about $20.00???
The city can make money and the ground will be cleaner !
We all can monitor each other.
How about $500.00 that will get their attention.
We have neighbors that walk w small dogs on our block, or around the area. They allow their dogs to go poop wherever and whenever they please. Sidewalk, yards, it doesn’t matter.
They purposely take the dogs out to go potty on their fellow neighbor’s property. Really sad as their parent has been here since 1989.
DeeAnne, yah, dog poop on your yard is an annoyance. I suspect that dog pee in your yard where it grows more lush green is also an annoyance to you. Fact is, folks can get annoyed easily when they are prudes–don’t get your back up, a prude is someone who says that “I would never do that, so nobody ought to be able to do that.” Every lawmaker is a prude by definition. Benicia politicians are also prudes related to this ordinance.
Regarding dog owners, like parents, some are good, some not so good. Some will pick up after their pet, some won’t. Don’t know why you decided to write something on a 6 year old article. Personally, I am a scofflaw wrt the outrageous Benicia ordinance prohibiting dogs in parks. When I first saw the sign on my neighborhood park citing the municipal code I simply COULD NOT BELIEVE that a city government could be SO STUPID as to prohibit a family member (Most dogs are members of a family) from using a Park that they PAID FOR. Worse, 90 percent of the time I go bye a park and NO ONE is using it to be annoyed by a pet. In truth, on this topic I am Speaking to Vegetables-since local politicians are vegetable brains.
DeAnn — Do what I did. I confronted a neighbor on this and told her I was tired of cleaning up after her dog. I told her that the next time it happened I would deposit it on her porch.
A week later, I did. That was the end of the problem.