Fiddler on the WOOF
Fabulous show is more fabulous now because you can bring your dog to Fiddler on the WOOF, pre-performance picnic and then see the real Fiddler performed under the stars at Joaquin Miller Park. Save the date–July 12. Tickets will be available here soon.
Meeting on the Dog Play Area by Lake Merritt TONIGHT!
TONIGHT is the night to speak out for this long-awaited dog park! 6 p.m. at City Hall. (it’s ok if you’re a little late, and you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to). It’s important for us to be there in force! Directions to City Hall:http://www2.oaklandnet.com/ContactUs/index.htm — at City of Oakland City Hall.
Dog Day at City Hall is Almost Here
Dog lovers by the hundreds should come to City Hall to support the dog park proposal on Wednesday, May 2 at 6pm. We need to make it very clear to city officials that Oakland will benefit from having new community space at the corner of Lakeshore and MacArthur. Drop us a note here if you think you are coming.
Important Meetings Coming up!
There are two big meetings coming up that will decide on Oakland’s dog-friendliness.
Wednesday, May 2, 6-10 pm
Lakeview Dog Play Area, near Lake Merritt will come before the Oakland Planning Commission. It’s vital that we have a strong presence at this meeting. Your presence will count even if you don’t want to speak. If you like, you can RSVP on their facebook page, or you can just show up! It’s also OK if you show up late.
Oakland City Hall [map it]
For directions, public transit, and parking options, click here.
In the meantime, please write to the Planning Commission and tell them you support this project! You can use the handy form we’ve set up. It takes less than 2 minutes, and you can use as-is, or customize with your own words.
Tuesday, April 17, 2 pm
Restrictions to off-leash access to the Dunn Trail in Redwood Regional Park are being discussed by the East Bay Regional Park District. Stop the ban of off-leash dogs! Attend their next meeting on April 17th, at 2950 Peralta Oaks Court in Oakland [map it]. In the meantime, you can send voice your opinion by emailing jsutter@ebparks.org with a CC: to Odogparks@COMCAST.net
Saturday, April 14 at 10-10:30
Happy Tails and Trails has agreed to do another dog and horse training clinic, weather permitting. Bring your LEASHED dog and dog treats to meet a horse and learn how they can get along with just a handful of behavior changes. You will learn how to understand the behaviors of your dog, the horse and the rider, so that your dog is calmer around horses and everyone is safer on the trails. This is a big part of our chance to retain off-leash access so if you think your dog needs even a tiny bit of help, make time to attend. Please bring some small treats and be sure your dog is securely leashed. Meet at the trail entrance to Serpentine that abuts the Trudeau Center parking lot [map it].
If you are an equestrian who would like to participate, with or without a horse, please let us know if you would be available on this date or at future trainings.
Email the city your support for the Lakeview Dog Play Area!
The Lakeview Dog Play Area needs your support. Send an email in the next 24 hours to convince the city that dog owners deserve space in this neighborhood. We’ve made it extremely simple to send a note of support with our form letter. You can use it as-is, or use our talking point to write your own letter.
Talking Points:
- Dog play area provides social space for people with dogs.
- Dog play area approved in Lake Merritt Master Plan and by the Parks Commission (2006 and 2010).
- Proposed plan gives us a legal space to go with our dogs.
- This busy neighborhood needs this amenity so we don’t have to drive to Alameda and Berkeley every day.
- The multi-use park has room for dogs, kids, soccer and more.
Map of the proposed dog play area. Click to enlarge
Regional Parks Clamping Down
We met with the East Bay Regional Parks and learned about proposed changes that will curtail dog owner access to off leash areas in Tilden, Redwood, Dunn Trail, Leona and parks throughout the park district.
- The first 200 feet (or is it yards) of trail heads will be leash required. They think this will help with the poop pick up problem.
- The Serpentine Prairie will become leash required. There have been two serious horse accidents caused by dogs off leash and the riders have petitioned the park for this change. The Serpentine Prairie is also known at the Training Center, 11500 Skyline and the Dunn Trail. This is the area that was fenced off two years ago, forcing the dogs and horses onto the same narrow trails.
- Professional dog walkers will be restricted from some of their current trails and might be routed to other trails. With a finite number of trails and and increasing human and dog population we don’t see how this can work.
Lake Merritt Dog Park Update, Karin Hogan Memorial
Lake Merritt Dog Park Update: We Need Letters
The next step in getting our proposed dog park near Lake Merritt built is to get it approved by the Oakland Planning Commission. Opponents to the park have been sending emails to the Commission, and we need to make sure our voice is heard! Please send emails supporting this project to Ann Clevenger at aclevenger@oaklandnet.com, and CC: odogparks@comcast.net
Karin Hogan
Memorial Service for Karin Hogan
Sadly, longtime user of the dog park at Joaquin Miller Park, Karin Hogan (who’s dog is Layla) passed away in November. Her friends from the dog park are having a memorial service for her at the dog park on Sunday, January 8th at 10 am. Karin’s mom will be coming out from Maine for the service, and would like to meet her dog park friends. If you want to send a note to Karin’s mom, please send it to odogparks@comcast.net
Santa Paws is Coming to Town!
We’re all very excited about our next fun event: Santa Paws. It’s our fourth annual, and it’s always a great time. It’s being held at local Oakland institution, Sarber’s Cameras in the Montclair District. Bring your pups, and bring your kids to sit on Santa’s lap and get a photo! We’ll have some additional surprises, too.
Sarber’s is family-owned and has been serving the community for over 50 years! Come down and support ODOG and this wonderful community-minded shop.
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Sunday, December 11
TIME: 11 am – 3 pm
LOCATION: Sarber’s Cameras, 1958 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. MAP IT
PRICE: $30 for one 5″x7″ print. Additional prints extra.
Help Create Equitable Access for Dogs in Oakland Parks
“We’ve seen how these (dog) parks make a community great for people AND pets… It makes an area more attractive for visitors and new residents… The best moments of your life are measured in dog years.”
We missed the deadline for Bark for your Park this year (congratulations to Huntington, WV on winning this year!) But you can still help us in our mission to make space in our parks for our dogs. Currently, it’s illegal to bring a dog to any of the parkland near Lake Merritt (even on leash). We’ve been working for over ten years on the project at Lakeview Park. It would take up only one tenth of one percent of the parkland near the lake. It’s been approved by city agencies several times, and is included in the Lake Merritt Master Plan. But, we need your support.
Easy Ways You Can Help Get this Park Built
- Join the movement on Facebook to finally build this park.
- Visit the website, get informed, and spread the word to your friends and neighbors.
- Volunteer by sending an email to Lakeviewdog@gmail.com
Big Weekend!
FRIDAY, OCT 28, 6-9 pm: We’ve got a great fundraiser this Friday at 6 pm: The 8th Annual Paws & Claws Pet Parade and Costume Party. Paws & Claws, in Oakland’s Dimond district has been a huge supporter of ODOG, Lakeview Dog Play Area, and the greater Oakland community for years! This event is their eight annual, and each year it gets better and better. Come on down! More info.
SATURDAY, OCT 29, 9 am – noon: Paws to Prune: Join our monthly work day at the lake. We go out and prune, deadhead, weed, spread wood chips. It turns out to be a fun time, a good workout, and it really keeps our city and lovely lake beautiful. More information here
