Dogs aren't welcome in Redondo Beach's city parks (but dog owners want to change that)

We know Huntington Beach has a reputation for being the most dog-friendly city in Southern California.  But what city is the least dog-friendly? Vying for that dubious title, at least if you ask some residents, is Redondo Beach. All of Redondo's 20-plus parks (with the exception of its excellent off-leash dog park) have a strict no-dogs-allowed policy, but a group of dog-loving residents is working to change that. Our colleague Jeff Gottlieb has the story; here's an excerpt:

"We've been described as the most dog unfriendly city in the South Bay," Councilman Bill Brand said.

Although there are other cities that have dog bans, such as Gardena, Hawthorne and Culver City, where they are permitted in only one park, the policy is uncommon enough that Linda Barth, assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, said she had never heard of a city with regulations as strict as Redondo Beach's.

"There's not enough park patrol or animal control officers to proactively monitor parks, and taking your animal to the park under the appropriate conditions ... many people would argue, is almost a protected right," she said.

There are many people in Redondo Beach who would agree, many of them owners of the 3,600 dogs licensed in the city.

Three petitions with several hundred signatures each have been submitted to the City Council in the last several months asking the city to loosen its leash on the dog policy.

This week, the council asked the Recreation and Parks Commission to study whether the 1979 law should be modified to allow leashed dogs in Czuleger Park, a 2.1-acre space near King Harbor.

THERE'S MORE; READ THE REST.

Photo: Redondo Beach resident Kathy Burke carries Kai, her 8-month-old puppy, on her way out of the Redondo Beach dog park. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Animal lovers' calendar: Weekend of Nov. 21-22 and beyond

Is it animal-inspired art that interests you?  Helping homeless pets that floats your boat?  We've got you covered with options like these (and many more) in the coming days and weeks.  (Are we forgetting something?  Let us know by leaving a comment!)

This Weekend:

Saturday, Nov. 21, multimedia artist Rachel Schmeidler hosts the art exhibition "Hollywood Least Wanted 3D" at downtown art gallery Rivera + Rivera, 1100 S. Hope Street, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Schmeidler aims to raise awareness about homeless pets facing euthanasia at animal shelters with the exhibition, which showacases her anaglyphic 3D photos of shelter dogs.  Adoptable pets from L.A. Dept. of Animal Services shelters will be present, as will special guests Zachary Quinto ("Heroes"; "Star Trek") and his dog Noah.  Schmeidler's earlier series, "Hollywood Most Wanted," will also be on display for the first time in 3D.  Attendees are encouraged to RSVP online and make a $20 donation in advance of the event (you'll receive a raffle ticket and 3D glasses).  All donations and 50% of art sales will benefit the Animal Welfare Trust Fund, which provides support, supplies and veterinary equipment to L.A.'s municipal city shelters.  More information at HollywoodLeastWanted.com.

Animal lovers' calendar: Weekend of November 14-15 and beyond

The weekend ahead is full of events for animal lovers, whether you want to adopt a pet, help animals battling cancer, rid your closet of decidedly unfashionable fur or see live music while helping wildlife.  (Are we forgetting something?  Let us know by leaving a comment!)

Saturday, Nov. 14, join VPI Pet Insurance and approximately 500 other L.A. and Orange County pet owners for the third annual K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk.  Pet owners and their dogs will walk a scenic course just shy of two miles long around Long Beach's Shoreline Village Lighthouse Peninsula to raise funds for the Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF).  Cost is $30; check-in at Catalina Landing begins at 9 a.m., with the walk starting at 10.  For more information or to register, head to PetInsurance.com.

Saturday, Nov. 14 through Earth Day (April 22, 2010), secondhand-clothing store chain Buffalo Exchange and the Humane Society of the United States jointly host "Coats for Cubs."  Animal lovers are encouraged to clean out their closets (or parents' and grandparents' closets, or Cruella de Vil's closet) and donate any tacky real-fur items found there (including fur trim, accessories and shearling) back to the animals.  Of course, it's too late to give the fur back to its original owner, but it can still be used as bedding for orphaned and injured wildlife -- and it doesn't do your conscience any harm, either.  Fur in any condition is accepted and can be brought to any Buffalo Exchange location.  (If you'd like to claim your fur donation as a tax deduction, you'll need to mail it directly to the Humane Society rather than dropping it at Buffalo Exchange; mailing information is available at HSUS.org.)  More information at BuffaloExchange.com.

Huntington Beach: One of America's dog-friendliest cities (except on Tuesday nights)

One of Orange County's most favored spots for dogs and their owners is Huntington Beach, known as one of the most dog-friendly spots in Southern California. But a storm is brewing there over one local event at which dogs are distinctly unwelcome. Our colleague Dana Parsons got to the bottom of the dog-friendly debate in a recent story from The Times' Out There series; here's an excerpt:

Nobody would ever call Huntington Beach anti-dog. Far from it.

The city has a mile-plus stretch of beach where dogs can frolic, catch some rays and, if they're of a mind to, surf. A cafe in a city park has a dog menu. At least two major hotels provide doggy beds. It has a great veterinarian-to-dog ratio. The city takes to dogs like Seattle does to clouds.

No surprise, then, that Huntington Beach is the reigning "DogTown USA" among mid-sized cities, as chosen this year by Dog Fancy magazine.

But there is the matter of Tuesday nights on Main Street.

Signs posted now inform man's best friends that they are canine non grata between 5 and 9 p.m. Tuesdays, also known as "Surf City Nights."

Now in its third year, it's a weekly event at which farmers market vendors sell their goods next to restaurateurs and other merchants over a three-block area downtown and -- there's no way to put this nicely -- some folks just wish our four-legged friends would stay home for the evening.

It's nothing personal, insists Connie Pedenko, executive director of the Business Improvement District, a nonprofit group that oversees Surf Nights and has to keep city officials and vendors happy.

THERE'S MORE; READ THE REST.

Photo: Christy Trujillo meets Leonidas, a 5-month-old bulldog, along Huntington Beach's Main Street as owner Mario Estrada looks on.  Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Animal lovers' calendar: Weekend of Nov. 7-8 and beyond

Whether you're looking to adopt a pet, help animals in need or just gawk at some neat-looking spiders, the coming days and weeks are full of events for animal enthusiasts.  (Are we forgetting something?  Let us know by leaving a comment.)

This Weekend:

Saturday, Nov. 7, spcaLA invites potential "foster parents" to learn about its fostering program from 10 a.m. to noon at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. "Foster parents" are needed to care for puppies and kittens that are too young to be adopted, as well as older dogs and cats with special needs. More information at spcaLA.com. (The L.A. Department of Animal Services offers a similar program for underage puppies and kittens; more information on that program is available at the department's website.)

Saturday, Nov. 7, L.A.-based pet rescue group the Brittany Foundation hosts its "A Day in Their Paws" event.  During the event, volunteers will spend a 24-hour period living alongside a rescue dog at the group's Agua Dulce sanctuary, located at Anthony Road and Sierra Highway.  From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., guests can join these volunteers at an open house where they can meet adoptable pets, participate in a raffle and silent auction and enjoy refreshments from Margo's Bark.  (Guests can also sponsor a volunteer's freedom from the kennel facility -- read: bathroom breaks -- at a rate of $1 per minute, with proceeds benefiting the Brittany Foundation's work on behalf of homeless animals.)  More information at the Brittany Foundation's website.

Presbyterian church in Westchester offers dog-friendly Sunday services

When the Rev. Tom Eggebeen took over as interim pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Westchester three years ago, he looked around and knew it needed a jump start.

Most of his worshippers, though devoted, were in their 60s, attendance had bottomed out and the once-vibrant church was fading as a community touchstone in its bustling neighborhood.

So Eggebeen came up with a hair-raising idea: He would turn God's house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church's connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers who are as crazy about God as they are about their four-legged friends.

Before the first Canines at Covenant service last Sunday, Eggebeen said many Christians love their pets as much as human family members and grieve just as deeply when they suffer -- but churches have been slow to recognize that love as the work of God.

Animal lovers' calendar: Halloween (and beyond) events for pets

If you love animals and Halloween, man oh man do you have a great weekend in store for you!  From dog-friendly cocktails to Halloween pet adoptions to parades of costumed canines (and more!), the coming days and weeks are full of great events for animal lovers. (Are we forgetting something? Let us know by leaving a comment!)

This Weekend:

Friday, Oct. 30 (that's tonight, folks!), Westwood restaurant and lounge Blvd.16 hosts its "Sit, Bark, Sip" happy hour from 6 to 9 p.m.  The event includes a Halloween doggie-costume contest and $3 to $5 snacks for both humans and dogs.  (Human visitors can also avail themselves of the beer and cocktail specials.)  And maybe -- just maybe -- visitors will break a world record for the most dachshunds in costume.  Directions at Blvd. 16's website.  (Thanks to our colleagues at Daily Dish for the heads-up about this event!)

Saturday, Oct. 31, celebrate Halloween with the needy pets awaiting new homes at the South Los Angeles animal shelter, 3612 11th Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  A Halloween parade begins at noon and will include adoptable, costumed pets from the South L.A. shelter.  Those fine folks who adopt a pet will receive a bonus -- a special picture of them with their new furry friend (not to mention free candy!).  Visitors can enter a raffle to win Clippers tickets -- and just might get a chance to meet one of L.A.'s biggest celebrities, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 

Pets need Halloween costumes too

We hope by now you've picked out what you're going to wear for Halloween. But what about Fido?

Your dog is going to need a spooky getup if he's going to patter around the neighborhood trick-or-treating for Milkbones.

Normally, Unleashed doesn't condone animal apparel, but we can make an exception one day out of the year. (And maybe for the winter holidays too, because don't those Christmas sweaters just look so cute? A sweater can make a pug look like a cuddly little Bill Cosby.)

Woman's Day has some interesting ideas that get progressively more complicated as you scroll down the page. Want to turn your dog into an American flag, a panda or a punk rocker? Load up on fur dye.

BuzzFeed's list gets even wilder, but the pictures are entertaining if for nothing more than to gawk at the absurd lengths some pet owners go.

Except for the Cinco de Mayo dog. That one looks like they just bought a bunch of trinkets at the Dollar Store and glued it to a Chihuahua.

If you're feeling really lazy, you can take a tip from the Gooch, a Pit Bull that hangs out on Venice Beach (pictured top left). But good luck keeping those things on your mutt's face. The Gooch is a professional.

-- Mark Milian

Twitter: @markmilian

Photo credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Animal lovers' calendar: Weekend of Oct. 24-25 and beyond

Whether you want to celebrate Halloween with the animals or simply help some local pets in need, the coming days and weeks are chock-full of events sure to appeal to Southern California animal lovers. (Are we forgetting something? Let us know by leaving a comment!)

This Weekend:

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23-25, the Santa Barbara Zoo hosts its Wild West-themed Boo at the Zoo event, an opportunity for kids to go trick-or-treating in an animal-centric (and traffic-free) environment.  Each night of the event, the zoo will be closed for general admission and open for the Halloween-themed event from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.  Zookeepers will be on hand to give talks and allow visitors to interact with animals.  Tickets are available at the zoo's box office and are $11 for adults and $9 for children aged 2-12.  (Children must be accompanied by an adult.)  More information available at SantaBarbaraZoo.org.

Saturday, Oct. 24, celebrate the all-American pit bull (or your lovable pit mix) on National Pit Bull Awareness Day.  The event was founded in 2007 by a Tennessee-based pit bull rescue group called Bless the Bullys, and since then, according to the Best Friends Animal Society, "the concept has taken off like wildfire."  This year, pit-centric organization ROVERlution hosts a march on the much-maligned dogs' behalf right here in Southern California -- in the Orange County city of Brea to be exact -- beginning at 9 a.m.  More information on the Brea march at ROVERlution.org; to find another National Pit Bull Awareness Day event, try the state-by-state search tool at NationalPitBullAwarenessDay.com.

Halloween dog costumes go couture for two Huntington Beach pugs

Olive and Mochi are pugs with a passion for fashion. No wonder Halloween is their favorite time of year.

They've been dressed up as geisha girls, surfer girls and even pieces of sushi over the years. They may not understand the tradition, but "pugs understand positive energy," explains dog owner, partner and costume designer Lisa Woodruff of Huntington Beach.

Ten years ago, it was hard to find a Halloween costume for a cat, dog or duck. Today they are everywhere, from the dollar stores to Beverly Hills boutiques. Online or off, there are costumes galore.

A little bling or properly draped scrap of fabric can transform your pet into almost any animal, character or celebrity, says Steve Major of All the Same Wild and Tame, an animal sanctuary that sells pet accessories in Sherman Oaks.

The most popular ready-made pet costumes this year are Superdog, bee, jockey rider, hot dog, pirate, devil, prisoner, Yoda, cowboy rider, Batman and groom, according to public relations manager Lori Samsoucie of Wisconsin-based buyseasons.com, the largest online costume retailer in the country.