Dogs are loyal, loving and playful. Substantial portions of the population enjoy having dogs as household companions. At the same time, a few owners can be irresponsible, resulting in some dogs that are aggressive. Serious and often well-publicized dog incidents occur, although rarely in parks.¹ Some people have a fear of dogs or simply dislike dogs, and do not wish to be near dogs, especially off-leash dogs. Much opposition to having any off-leash recreation areas has been driven by fear and antipathy rather than by facts.

• Serious dog incidents at Lighthouse Field and Its Beach are not happening. We requested the official Santa Cruz Police Department "calls for service" records for Lighthouse Field for the past year. They provided us with April 3, 2002 to April 26, 2003, about 13 months. In this time there were only three calls for service related to dogs. None were prompted by dog aggression — all three were for stray dogs.² The Santa Cruz Fire Department (which provides emergency medical and rescue services) also checked their incident list for the same period. According to Deputy Fire Chief Matt Tracey, on October 21, 2002, a dog got its paw caught in a car door. (The dog was OK without dispatch of emergency services!) No other incidents were reported. If there were any other incidents during this time, they were not serious enough to be worth reporting to the Police or Emergency Services. This is only a snapshot of 13 months, but it demonstrates a positive and safe pattern. The previous year’s report shows a similar picture.
• False information has been provided regarding the occurrence of incidents at Lighthouse Field and Its Beach. At the City Council meeting on April 22, 2003, during public comment regarding Lighthouse Field, a member of the public said that there "have been a hundred, according to the SPCA, dog bites in 2001…"³ We checked with the Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority (who have taken over the SPCA’s animal control responsibility and records.) A representative stated that the SPCA could not possibly have given this statistic, since it does not exist — they do not record the place of an incident in their data.⁴ They only record the address of the animal’s owner and the address of the person making the report. So this "100 bites" number was simply invented. Animal Services is not aware of any epidemic of dog bites at the Field or Beach. There were zero police and fire/EMS calls that were actually recorded in the past year for dog bites. This would be highly unlikely if such a high number of bites had actually occurred. Other similarly dramatic statements have been made previously, and they were equally misleading.
• Dog incidents in public parks are rare. Serious incidents mostly occur at home or in neighborhoods. Few incidents occur in public parks. This is true in Santa Cruz as shown by the excellent safety record at Lighthouse Field, and it’s true in larger cities. Studies in the U.S., Canada and Australia have shown that few incidents occur in parks (about 3%). The most serious incidents tend to occur when dogs are defending territory, or when persons who deliberately keep aggressive animals fail to keep those animals contained.¹
• The risks should be seen in perspective. We are all concerned about any potential for harm, so it is appropriate to examine the risks of injury resulting from allowing dogs in parks, and to compare this risk level to other commonplace recreational activities.
  
  For comparison, in 2001 the number of emergency facility visits nationwide resulting from baseball/softball (308,931)⁵ and resulting from playgrounds (246,030) are each similar to the total number of injuries nationwide at any location from dogs (368,557)⁶. The vast majority of dog bites occur on or around their owner's property, not in public open spaces.¹ If we only consider incidents occurring in parks, the injury rate from these other public space recreational activities combined is about 50 times larger than those associated with dogs.⁵
  
  We can also look at nationwide statistics concerning fatalities. Again for comparison, according to the CDC, during 2000, 740 fatalities involved bicycles.⁷ The same CDC reporting system does not record fatalities due to dogs, as they do not include such rare causes. Several sources looked at multi-year statistics, and indicate that in a typical year about 15 people are killed in the U.S. each year in dog incidents.⁸
  
  Of course, there should be continued focus on reducing all types of injuries, but the risk of injury from dogs in parks is small, and well below the level of risk accepted for other common recreational activities.
• "Socialization" reduces fear, aggressiveness and territorialism in dogs. When dogs interact with other dogs as well as with other people, they are engaging in what animal behaviorists call "socialization." This process is simply not effective on leash. Dogs on a leash are more territorial and protective, and they are not able to participate in the normal motions by which these animals interact. Off-leash exercise reduces the risk everywhere in the city! Dogs that have regular off-leash socialization are better behaved and safer when they return to their home area.⁹
  
• Banning responsible community members from the Field and Beach will not stop the irresponsible. The city has few resources for enforcement. If there are any problems with aggressive dogs, it will often be associated with aggressive and/or irresponsible people. People who are irresponsible about their dogs — and these cause most dog incidents — will ignore the rules. And the absence of a responsible community in the vicinity will make things worse.
• Removal of responsible community members in the Field and Beach will remove peer pressure which is the best assurance of good behavior. There is a large community of users who set a good example and who exert peer pressure to keep potential problems under control. These people have demonstrated a commitment to the Field and Beach. They watch and know what is going on around them.
• The community which forms around off-leash dog exercise helps keep parks and beaches safe in other ways. The same police data which showed no serious dog incidents also showed 228 other incidents at Lighthouse Field in the same period. Some of these were very serious, including threats and assaults. Areas of the Field are troubled by illegal camping, drinking parties, drug use and other abuses and threats. The Beach sometimes sees heavy drinking and fights. Nevertheless, the Field and Beach are considered to be very safe. We believe a significant contribution to safety is the active and continuous presence of a coherent community. Starting at sunrise and ending at sunset, community members gather in the Field and Beach. They come daily. They know each other. They represent a cross section of the larger community. They watch and know what is going on around them. Will the Field and Beach be safer — or more dangerous — if these community members are driven out?
• Fear and dislike of dogs will not disappear. We know that some people will never like dogs, and to have some fearfulness about dogs is not irrational. We therefore do not propose that all parks or beaches should allow off-leash dogs. Many should not, and some should not allow dogs at all. This fear should not banish people with dogs from having at least some off-leash area — and not just a gravel lot or a fenced in corral, but the opportunity to fully enjoy an outdoor recreational experience.

We have several recommendations about safety and fear issues:

• Continue the successful off-leash access at Lighthouse Field and Its Beach. For the reasons explained above, this reduces the risks associated with dog aggression, and makes the Field and Beach safer places for all.
• Ensure clear signage at all parks where off-leash dogs are allowed. This helps guide persons who dislike dogs. The signs could also indicate the nearest no-dog or no-off-leash areas. For example, at Its Beach a sign might point the way to Cowell Beach, Main Beach, or Natural Bridges.
• Make off-leash areas available dawn to dusk. This reduces enforcement issues and reduces confusion and possible conflict about when dogs will be in the space. It will also spread the usage during the day, possibly making the areas more comfortable for those who don’t particularly like dogs.
• Expand the number of places available for off-leash recreation, using community support to mitigate problems. The severe shortage of off-leash space causes pressure on the available space, increasing the number of animals at one location. If the amount of public land allowing off-leash exercise were to increase from the present 2% to around 5%, pressure on the existing space would be reduced (and compliance with on-leash regulations elsewhere would likely be improved.)
• Work with community organizations such as Friends of Lighthouse Field or others to educate park users on reduction of problems and risks. Existing community support should be harnessed whenever possible to address any potential problems before they occur.
• Support other educational and risk prevention programs. A good example is the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen program.¹⁰