The goal of this petition is to gather community interest and show support for our request to have Culver City Council consider instituting off-leash dog hours at Culver West Alexander Park.

This would call for designated hours in the early morning and late evening for residents and their dogs to gather in the large grass area of the park where they can socialize in a safe and clean environment. The community wants to create a space where dogs can freely play and run while also maintaining park safety. The proposed hours would fall outside the busiest times of the day and dogs would be restricted to a specific area within the grass field. This would allow the dog owner community to utilize public space when it is not being used for other activities. It would also reduce the likelihood of dogs being let off leash throughout the day when children are present. Pet owners would also continue to maintain compliance with park rules such as picking up after their dog, ensuring their dog is properly vaccinated and licensed, etc. 

In addition to the summary provided above, there are several other notable reasons to support this request: 

1. There are currently no public parks in Culver City or in the surrounding Los Angeles area where dogs may socialize off leash. 
2. Dog parks are typically the only places dogs can be off leash. However, these places are often overcrowded and can lead to fights, etc. 
3. Many of us in the neighborhood know each other and our dogs. We engage in proper socialization and maintain control of our pets whereas dog parks contain many unknown owners and variables. 
4. Socializing dogs off leash (in a healthy way) can reduce leash reactivity and aggression thereby mitigating potentially unhealthy behavior in the dog community. 
5. Safe, outdoor space where dogs may play is extremely limited in Los Angeles and this inequity is reflected in the neighborhood residents who live near Culver West Alexander Park. Public parks are a great way for people to socialize and gather. Dog owners only want the same for their pets as not everyone has access to backyards.
6. Creating a dog friendly space where they can engage in regular exercise lowers their stress and allows them to safely express their biological needs (running, sniffing, exploring smells). 
7. It will reduce potential conflicts with parks employees related to dog access. 
8. Designated dog hours and area will mitigate risk and potential danger of pets being allowed off-leash when the park is being utilized by other members of the community and their families. 
9. This will encourage community engagement and foster a healthy relationship between Culver City Council and residents. Per the 2020 census, the number of households with pets was estimated to be 9,940. Of that number, dogs made up the large majority accounting for 6,969. This number will have likely gone up as many households adopted dogs during the beginning of the pandemic.

Please help us create a safe and inclusive environment for dog owners and their pets to burn off some much needed energy while utilizing space available at Culver West Alexander Park. Other similar pilot programs and studies have shown no negative impacts of allowing dogs off-leash in a safe and accountable manner. We urge Culver City Council to discuss this request and hope the signatures on this petition reflect the expressed support of community members.