VALLEY DOGS TO HAVE THEIR DAYS : CITY OPENS PARK FOR POOCHES LOT'S UNVEILING MARKS END OF 5-YEAR DRIVE.Byline: Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writer To the delight of canine lovers and their furry, four-legged pets, a 10-acre lot in the Sepulveda Basin area went to the dogs Thursday, capping a five-year effort to open an off-leash park in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . As if on cue, dozens of the park's very first visitors let off a salvo of playful barks when the gate to the Victory Boulevard Victory Boulevard is a major thoroughfare on Staten Island, measuring approximately 8.0 miles (12.87 km) and stretching from the west shore community of Travis to the upper east shore communities of St. George and Tompkinsville. green swung open shortly after 10:30 a.m., sending hounds sprinting onto the rain-soaked field. Tongues hanging out of their mouths like slobbery slob·ber v. slob·bered, slob·ber·ing, slob·bers v.intr. 1. To let saliva or liquid spill out from the mouth; drool. 2. pieces of pink taffy Taffy Welshman who “stole a piece of beef.” [Nurs. Rhyme: Baring Gould, 72–73] See : Thievery , dogs with names such as Bogart, Stump and Binkie got a chance to meet and greet new friends such as Browsie, Renata and Dixie Tracy. ``Dogs in order to be dogs have to be off their leash,'' said Richard Nave, a Reseda property manager in his 50s. ``They get to run and socialize so·cial·ize v. so·cial·ized, so·cial·iz·ing, so·cial·iz·es v.tr. 1. To place under government or group ownership or control. 2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable. with other dogs,'' added Nave, known as ``Master'' to Stump, a chow mix, and Bogart, a golden retriever golden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb (27.2–34.1 kg). . ``It's important for them to learn those skills. The problem is you have a lot of other parks, but if you let your dog off the leash, people go nuts.'' Opened with about $200,000 in city money and a $50,000 donation from Friskies PetCare Co., the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park represents the third fenced field for canines in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. including ones in Silver Lake and Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon can refer to several things:
The Laurel Canyon park gets a lot of paw traffic from Valley dogs, but the Encino park is actually the first on the Valley floor and the first in the city developed with the sole purpose of catering to canines. Along with four doggie restrooms - faux fire hydrants - and water stations, the Encino exercise area, which is open from sunrise to sunset, also boasts picnic tables and benches for the animals' best friends. Vivian Sontag, a Van Nuys resident who rescues abandoned greyhound dogs, said she and a handful of other canine lovers mounted a five-year campaign to persuade city leaders to develop an off-leash park in the Valley. ``It was a big fight,'' said Sontag, whose eyes welled with tears as city officials held a short ceremony honoring the park's first day in business. ``I'm feeling joyous beyond belief.'' Councilwoman Laura Chick, a park supporter, spent part of the morning petting many of her canine constituents and in a speech recalled that the park was once just a ``dirty, dusty, sandy lot.'' ``This park will be a meeting ground not only for dogs, but also for their owners,'' Chick told the crowd of more than 100. The dog zone's opening comes after the Parks Commission floated a proposal to expand the number of city off-leash facilities from three to 100, prompting some City Council members to protest that parks for people should come first. Chick said the proposal is still just a proposal and that even though many residents have been clamoring for more dog parks, she added that the City Council still needs more input. ``I think we need to hear from the citizenry of the city and from the council members,'' Chick said. ``We absolutely need more youth and family recreation.'' Despite the ongoing debate, it was clear that dogs ruled the day at the Sepulveda Basin area field Thursday, with canines performing flying disc and other tricks for the animal-loving crowd. Health educator Nikki Bauer walked the five blocks from her home to the new park with Renata, her part Labrador and German shepherd dog German shepherd dog a large muscular dog with medium length, double coat of tan and black, erect ears and bushy tail. The breed has been used widely as a working dog in police and military activities and as a guide dog for the blind. that was wearing a festive rainbow-colored collar for the occasion. ``She's been waiting She's Been Waiting is Kristy Hanson's 2003 second release. Track listing All tracks are composed by Kristy Hanson
CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) Vickie Luyando and Chewy chew·y adj. chew·i·er, chew·i·est Needing much chewing: chewy candy. chew  i·ness n. engage in messy recreation at
the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park's opening.
(2) A pair of dogs do some soggy rough-housing at a dog park opened to the public Thursday morning. The lot is open from sunrise to sundown. (3) Sandy Friedman takes advantage of park-supplied cleaning scoopers. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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