The Downtown Association’s board voted 8-1 yesterday to allow dog owners to bring their pets downtown over a six-month trial period. The decision is the first step in lifting a 34-year ban on dog on Pacific Avenue and the surrounding area. The Board’s recommendation included a number of stipulations, including a ban on dogs after dark, a ban on panhandling with dogs, and a requirement that leashes be between three and five feet long. In addition, no more than three dogs will be allowed in close proximity to one another.
The one dissenting vote in the decision was cast by Linnaea Holgers James of the Artisans Gallery. While she also supports the eventual lifting of the ban, she questions whether the police will be able to enforce the current restrictions.
Public hearings and a City Council vote are still necessary before the ban can be lifted. While most have expressed a willingness to study Downtown Association’s proposal, at least one councilmember, Katherine Beiers, has stated that the majority of her constituents oppose the lifting of the ban, and some have even said that they will avoid the downtown area if dogs are allowed there. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
