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Beach
welcomes Haute Dogs
By Adrienne Figueroa
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
Long Beach resident
Justin Rudd is struggling to understand why the city is not
treating his dog as man’s best friend.
The 33-year-old part-time publicist and fitness trainer was
perplexed when he first learned that the city’s municipal
code prohibits dogs on the beach. According to the law, dogs
are forbidden from walking on the sand, with the exception
of special events.
Wanting the freedom to stroll the beach with his four and
a half year old English bulldog, Rosie, Rudd came up with
an idea.
After studying the municipal code, and following the advice
of local pet associations, he began putting together the building
blocks of his canine-friendly organization.
Haute Dogs, synonymous for “classy dogs,” consists of a group
of pet owners who want the city-imposed restriction to be
lifted.
Using donations from members of the community, the organization
is able to obtain a license from the city, which grants them
a small space on the beach once a month for an event called
Haute Dogs on the Beach. In this area, blocked off by yellow
tape, dogs are free to swim side by side with their owners.
“It brings a sense of camaraderie to our community…it’s something
special that the people look forward to doing,” Rudd said.
Along the others involved in the organization, Rudd is hoping
for legislation that will allow dogs back on the beach. He
has written all of the city’s council members about the issue.
“We’re pushing them and hopefully [a change in the law] will
happen,” he said.
David Ashman, manager of the city’s maintenance operations
bureau, said that the concern of dog bites is one reason why
admitting the animals back on the beach may be a difficult
process, according to a previous article in the Grunion Gazette.
Furthermore, Ashman said that in permitting greater access
to dogs on the beach, the city might experience a problem
in keeping the area clean, according to the article.
Rudd said his group has not encountered any problems involving
dog bites during the event, and afterward, group members spend
time picking up any mess that may have accumulated. In some
instances, the beach is cleaner than when they arrived, he
added.
The only dilemma “Haute Dogs” is presently facing is keeping
the affair running. The group is in search of a company that
will write a $1 million general liability policy, a city requirement,
to insure a monthly leash-free event. Rudd, unable to cover
the cost, said he hopes that someone will support the cause.
“I’m pulling for all the pups,” he said.
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