No Dogs!

[Ladyhawk]

This message is posted all over at Pinecrest Lake, yet today I think there were more dogs there than people. The rule is not enforced.

Many people travel from the Bay Area to spend the day at the lake and if it is their first time, they may not know about the "no dogs" rule. Still, I find it disconcerting to have to walk around dog shit and worry about someone's dog getting into my backpack if I leave it to go swimming.

The good news is I felt good enough to do a bit of snorkeling in Pinecrest Lake, which has warmed considerably. The bad news is I was annoyed by all the dogs. Generally, I like dogs, but if they aren't supposed to be at the lake, they aren't supposed to be at the lake--especially if they're off their leashes.

I started to swim away to go exploring and realized I'd forgotten the little bag I use to collect lures. When I came back, two dogs were sniffing at my pack. One dog had his head inside. I had (stupidly) forgotten to zip it shut. I scolded the dogs and splashed water in their general direction. I didn't actually hit them with the water. I was aiming below them. One of the dogs got so upset I felt guilty. :(

The dogs' owner seemed angry with me, which made me angry because she was the one who had broken the "no dogs" rule, didn't have her dogs on leashes and was allowing them to get into my pack. Shrugging, I decided it was much easier to zip the pack shut than get into an argument. I ate a bit of jerky before I set off again and shared it with the very shy dog I had traumatized. Still, seeing the place invaded by dogs when there were "NO DOGS!" signs all over the place made me a little angry. I saw boxers and fox terriers and rat terriers and retrievers and a bull mastiff that made my heart beat a little faster each time I had to walk past him. Dogs, dogs, everywhere, dogs. One lady had FIVE black labradors. She kept throwing a frisbee into the lake and all five dogs would leap off a pier to fetch it.

If there is a "no dogs" policy, why isn't it being enforced? The "no dogs" policy is in place for a reason: to protect wildlife living near the lake and to keep the habitat pristine. Diurnal animals like Douglas pine squirrels (chickarees), ground squirrels, gray squirrels, garter snakes and birds need the area near the lake for foraging. A dog would very gladly make a meal of these wild animals. The snakes I saw all seemed panicked. I had to rescue one from the road before he became a garter snake pancake. In the meantime, a very interested dog wanted to gobble him up.

The park will probably lose money if they enforce the rule, yet it seems lame to have a rule and allow it to be so thoroughly broken. The asphalt path has "NO DOGS" stamped in white paint every fifty feet or so. Someone thought it would be clever to put white paint on a dog's feet and let him run down the path. Obviously, it is well known that no one enforces the rule.

So, would you complain? Who would you talk to?

Maybe the powers that be should just give up the "no dogs" rule and allow a canine invasion...but that's just about what happened today and it wasn't pretty.