SPECIAL REPORT: Dog safety at off-leash parks

We’ve all heard the saying dogs are man’s best friend… and in the dog capital of the world, those words never rang more true.

“We welcome our four-legged furry friends,” says Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett.

Not only does Carmel welcome them but the city has often ranked as the most dog friendly place in America.

“Probably the only spot I’ve ever been to where I can just take my puppy and walk off with her,” says avid beach-goer, Michelle.

And for the most part, things seem to work out pretty well for dogs and their owners at public beaches .

“I think people have a general idea of how their dogs behave and I think they tend to bring them here if they feel comfortable with how they interact with people and other dogs,” says dog-owner Haley.

But to quote Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett, just because Carmel Beach is an off-leash beach doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. There are many rules the dog owners must adhere by when bringing their dog to the beach.

“Certain behavior is not allowed on our beach and people need to be responsible… you’re responsible for what your dog does,” says Cindi Mitchell with Carmel Animal Services.

Last year at Carmel Beach alone, 77 dog-related incidents were reported to the Carmel Police Department. 20 of those involved aggressive or dangerous dogs. While it’s a small number when compared to the thousands of dogs that visit the beach, those encounters are a concern.

“It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s… it could be tragic,” says Burnett.

“You can go and have a great experience and have a great time one day and the next time, there could be a dog that’s inappropriate or the dogs don’t like each other,” says Amanda Mouisset, pet behavior specialist with the Monterey County SPCA. She also helps host a weekly dog social at the SPCA where dogs can mingle in a supervised atmosphere.

“Citronella spray, which is a concentrated spray of cintronella. Air horns…they’re loud! The little ones are about this big and that will stop a lot of dogs before the fight really starts so again we can separate, ” she added.

But what happens if things go wrong at an unsupervised off-leash environment.

“You have a right to protect your dog. so if you feel you need to do that then yes. I’m not going to fault you for protecting your dog,” says Mitchell.

And just like a car accident, if your dog is injured, make sure to exchange information with the dog’s owner.

“If they’re not cooperating, you can get their license plates; a description of them,” says Mouisset.

And call police or animal services.

“Depending on what the circumstances are, and they may receive a citation,” says Mitchell.

So before you head to an off-leash park or beach, make sure you know your dog.

“You don’t bring a bully to the school yard if you know the bully is going to beat everyone up… it kind of ruins the playground for everybody,” says Michelle.