CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday discussed a potential policy change to allow leashed dogs in city parks and beaches and directed staff to return with a formal proposal, including updated cost estimates and enforcement strategies.
The discussion, prompted by resident requests, examined existing regulations that generally prohibit dogs in city parks and beaches, except in designated off-leash dog parks or under specific conditions, such as for service animals and law enforcement use.
The council unanimously directed city staff to return with an updated cost analysis and draft policy recommendations based on council feedback. In a separate motion, the council further told staff to evaluate potential sites for additional off-leash dog parks citywide.
Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Lancaster provided background on the issue, referencing a 2022 city memorandum that detailed regulations prohibiting dogs in parks and a study exploring potential allowances. Lancaster said that while the city has not formally considered a policy change in recent years, public feedback on the issue has been mixed.
“The community’s concerns regarding dogs in parks and beaches really run the gamut,” Lancaster said. “On one side, you have those that are concerned about the presence of dogs either leashed or unleashed, despite the regulations that generally prohibit those dogs in these areas. Then you have the other side that wants to be able to walk their dog leashed at parks and beaches.”
Assistant Police Chief Reed Shipley explained that the Carlsbad Police Department and San Diego Humane Society are responsible for enforcing dog regulations. The city’s two park rangers primarily handle enforcement in parks, while patrol officers address issues as time allows.
“The police department likes to adopt an education-first perspective,” Shipley said. “We contact those individuals that are violating the municipal code and conduct education and give them the opportunity to comply.”
Shipley added that most residents comply when approached and that the department does not anticipate significant operational impacts if the city allows leashed dogs in parks.
A survey of 17 San Diego County cities found that all allow dogs in some parks, with Coronado and Escondido restricting them in certain areas. Some cities, such as Santee, La Mesa and Del Mar, prohibit dogs in specific sections of parks, like playgrounds and sports fields.
If Carlsbad moves forward with policy changes, Lancaster said the city would need to update cost estimates from the 2022 memorandum, which projected an initial cost of $50,000 for signage and waste stations and an annual fee of about $250,000 for maintenance and sanitation.
Council members expressed various perspectives on the proposal. Mayor Keith Blackburn, who introduced the item, said he supports allowing leashed dogs in parks with restrictions.
“I think that it’s manageable if we can say the dogs are not allowed in the playground area where the swings and things are, that they can’t go onto the sports fields or where there’s an organized program within the park,” Blackburn said. “The dogs have to be leashed while they’re in the parks, and obviously the owners have to clean up after them.”
Councilmember Teresa Acosta emphasized concerns about off-leash dogs attacking leashed pets, saying she has received multiple complaints from residents.
“The biggest complaint that I get is about off-leash [dogs] and it’s terrible,” Acosta said. “Off-leash dogs attacking leashed ones, and then the owners having to deal with the attack on their dog, and sometimes they fall and get hurt as well.”
Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel said she wanted more details on the financial impact before supporting a policy change.
“I do want to make sure I know what the cost, the final cost, is going to be, because if we’re talking about budget in the next couple of months, which we are, and there are things that we’re really considering, I want to make sure we’re prioritizing the things that we absolutely need over this,” Bhat-Patel said.
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