New MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA OFF-LEASH PARKS Pilot Program

Mountain View, CA is testing an Off-Leash "Parks" pilot program that will last for one year, starting June 23rd, 2014.  The program will be a test that involves allowing dogs to be off-leash, in certain parks...  with some caveats.

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When I first heard about Mountain View testing the idea of new Off-Leash parks, I was getting pretty excited.  Excited because our very own town of Menlo Park seems to be getting more aggressive in enforcing leash rules and this new idea seemed like a long lost form of hope.

I even laughed pretty hard when some opponents to the Mountain View idea claimed that having different breeds of dogs loose in the same space is a bad thing.  Seriously?  Apparently they're grumpy, non dog-owning opponents who do not know squat about dogs.  But that's just my opinion.

(I get leash laws.  They help protect against some of the "idiots" that need to keep their dogs on leash next to busy streets or when their dogs run around and pee on or steal my stuff.)

Then I saw an article on the Daily Post talking about the new Mountain View Off-Leash parks and their rules.

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(Why yes occifer, he is on a leash.)

Dogs will be allowed off-leash in "Designated Sections" of the following parks...

-Bubb Park,
-Cooper Park,
-Eagle Park,
-McKelvey Park,
-Whisman Park*,
-Cuesta Park* and
-Cuesta Annex!

Hours for dogs being off-leash are...

-Between the hours of 6am and 10am,
-Weekdays,
-In designated areas.

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*Parks with Additional (BETTER) Exceptions...

-Whisman Park
--- Additional hours of 5pm to sundown on Weekdays.

-Cuesta Park
--- Off-leash from 6am to after sundown,
--- SEVEN DAYS A WEEK!

-Cuesta Annex
--- Seven days a week
--- 6am to 10am.

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Signs will be posted in the affected parks reflecting this new situation in this pilot program.  And I'm betting if carried our properly by dog owners, could be a great success and wonderful addition to any dog owner's lives.


Menlo Park has a "dog park" that can be used for 2 hours a day, during the weekdays.  Which is literally useless to the working stiff.

Plus Menlo Park seems to have grumpy folk that call the cops from inside their homes or have frumpy patrol officers actively patrolling, looking for someone playing T&C or Freestyle training.  (And exhibit ZERO sence of humor.  Which is sad.)

But when we go hiking in places where dogs are allowed on or off leash, it's always so disappointing to see how LAZY dog walkers toss their poop bags off the trail, in the hopes of not needing to take care of their dog's waste in a proper fashion. 

Or there are those that think poop in ivy is OK.  Hey lazy people, you do realize the ivy smells like shit for a reason, right?

It's these kinds of folks that will ruin it for everyone else.

So if anyone heads out to any of these parks, starting June 23rd, (IT's A ONE YEAR PILOT PROGRAM), please be sure to take care of "matters" and help your fellow dog owners take care of their own matters.

We're all in this together and it's in our best interest to make sure it works so they keep these pilot programs open beyond this first test year.  Or at least, I'd think so.

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