Ban of Off-leash Dogs at Elings Park?

Thanks to an effective last-ditch effort by Elings Dog Walkers and Dog PAC members, the Board of Directors of Elings Park unanimously granted us a temporary (6 month) reprieve from the OFF-LEASH BAN originally scheduled to go into effect in September. Elings Park, the largest private park west of the Rockies, held a visioning meeting on October 14th to encourage input from community members, neighbors, and various user groups. At final count, the dog people were very well represented and provided fair, win-win solutions to a variety of concerns.

At the request of the Park, Dog PAC and Elings Dog Walkers have appointed liaisons to deal with ongoing issues as they arise. Lee Heller will act as Elings Liaison for Dog PAC, and Chris Bell will serve as the representative for Elings Dog Walkers. The following concepts are under discussion:

1. Those with dogs in the Park will be required to sign a Rules and Regulations document regarding appropriate off-leash conduct in the Park.
2. A yearly fee may be charged, and the dog will receive an ID tag for that year.
3. Those in serious violation of the rules will be asked to leave the Park, and/or referred to the appropriate authorities.
4. Volunteers are needed to help self-police and provide public education to new users. One idea is to have local trainers rotate booth shifts—a great way to meet new clients!

It is vitally important that off-leash users seize this opportunity to demonstrate RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP in its highest form! We have approximately 4 months left to show the Park that we deserve this privilege. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities. Please contact Lee Heller at 899-2508 or leeheller@netpipeline.net or Chris Bell at 687-9709 or cbell@sysci.org if you can help.

In Other News...

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DFP / Wilcox Update

Quiet before the storm? The environmental impact study continues…Please continue to encourage other users to pick-up poop and leash upon ingress and egress.

The next meeting of the DFP Advisory Group is November 2nd at 5:30 p.m., Parks and Recreation Department, 620 Laguna Street. The agenda is supposed to be posted on the DFP kiosk 24-48 hours prior to the meeting. Stay tuned…It ain’t over…

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Animal-Friendly Montecito

Long a bastion of animal lovers, rampant growth in Montecito has begun to threaten the quality of life of Man, Woman, and Beast. A new organization has formed to protect the rights of animal owners and preserve the rural quality of the Montecito / Summerland areas. Montecito Livestock and Cattle Association ("MLCA," partially in honor of the two cows who live there!) hosted a gala kick-off party last month, with over 100 "animal people" in attendance.

Interested in MLCA? Please contact Jim at CasadelSueno@home.com.

Dog PAC and MLCA will share a table at Montecito Beautiful Clean-up Day, Saturday, November 4th, starting at 9 a.m. The 4-Seasons Biltmore caters a wonderful Brunch for volunteers—If you can volunteer to run the booth or clean-up trails and beaches, please call Mary Anne at 565-8700.

Barking Dog Ordinance

Plans are in the works to produce an educational video in collaboration with The Dogs’ Best Friend and S.B. County Animal Control. The video will become part of a prevention and early intervention program in Barking Dog Complaints.

In addition, the following videos are currently available, courtesy of Dogs’ Best Friend:

Your Dog Off-Leash:

This video is designed to inform policy makers of the legitimacy of off-leash recreation and the need for open space for dog-owners. The emphasis is on courtesy, clean up, and control.

Adopting the Older Dog:

This video provides an overview of the realities involved in bringing a dog home from the shelter. It provides tips on behavior and training to prevent return to shelter.

Making Friends with Dogs:

This video was developed as a bite prevention tool for teachers, Public Education Coordinators, etc. It is geared to children ages 6-12 who are most at-risk. Curriculum guide and Pre and Post Test kit included.

To receive a free video for educational purposes, please call The Dogs’ Best Friend at 967-3949.

Electronic Newsletter?

In order to cut down on our substantial postage costs, please let us know if you would like to receive future newsletters only electronically. If so, simply send an email to us (e-mail address at the bottom of this page), with the subject line "Electronic Newsletter Only Please." Also, if you are not already on our email list, please indicate that in your message.

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Board of Directors’ Meeting

A quarterly board meeting will be held November 6th at 6pm, location to be arranged. Note that we are in need of a Treasurer for DOG PAC—please call 967-3949 to volunteer.

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Volunteer!

If you have a skill that you’d like to share with us, please contact us!