Supervisors vote to allow dogs in Lake Yosemite Park

Dogs will be allowed to roam Lake Yosemite Park for another six months, the Merced County Board of Supervisors decided unanimously Tuesday.

Merced County’s parks ordinance prohibits dogs at county-owned parks, but Lake Yosemite Park became the exception last August when the supervisors voted to allow them for three months. The “trial period” went well, county officials said Tuesday, with no conflicts reported by park-goers.

But it was the park’s offseason and more time is needed to determine whether dogs should be allowed permanently, said Public Works Director Dana Hertfelder. He asked the Board of Supervisors for a six-month extension, ending on June 30.

“We would like a little more time to study it, especially now with the busier season,” Hertfelder told the Sun-Star after the meeting. “We’ll have more interaction between people who visit the park and those that bring their dogs. We want to have enough information to make a really good determination.”

Hertfelder said the decision has made no fiscal impact on the county. District 4 Supervisor Deidre Kelsey has used her discretionary funds to buy bags for dog waste.

One concern shared by some residents is people not cleaning up after their dogs. Hertfelder said it hasn’t been a problem thus far, but that’s one of the things staff will monitor over the next six months.

“We don’t know if we’ll have to spend a lot of time cleaning up after them, because then that becomes a fiscal impact,” he said. “So far everyone that’s brought their pets out has been very responsible.”

If the extended trial period at Lake Yosemite Park goes well, Hertfelder said the county might consider allowing dogs in its other two regional parks, Hagaman Park in Hilmar and Henderson Park in Snelling.

According to the ordinance, a maximum of two dogs will be allowed per person, and there are no breed restrictions. Dogs must be kept on a leash and owners will be responsible for disposing of their dog’s waste and for injuries or damage caused by their pets.

Dogs won’t be allowed to swim in the water or go near the beaches, Hertfelder said. The ordinance also prohibits aggressive dogs and female dogs in heat.

A question posted on the Sun-Star’s Facebook page about the ordinance drew mostly positive reactions from residents.

Carlos Fuentes posted that dogs should be allowed inside the park, but said owners need to be responsible and look after their animals. “Pet owners should be courteous and required to clean up after their dogs.”

Cody Gibson called it a great idea, but said a few irresponsible pet owners will probably have the privilege taken away from everyone.

Gibson said people leave trash and other disposable items in the park. “It’s OK for people to leave their baby’s diapers laying around and never pick up after the kids but I can’t have my four legged babe with me because he poops.”

If the Board of Supervisors did not take action Tuesday to extend the trial period, it would have expired on Dec. 31 and dogs would once again be banned from the park.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Supervisors vote to allow dogs in Lake Yosemite Park."