Oak Park school yards getting worn out by dogs

SOPHIA FISCHER/Acorn Newspapers UNWANTED VISITORS—Two dogs off their leashes frolic in the Brookside Elementary School playground. Dogs have been known to leave waste and drink from school water fountains. Oak Park school officials are frustrated by dog owners who continue to ignore the fact that their pets are not allowed on campus.

With their fenced-in fields and play areas, the Oak Park school yards have recently become the place to go for pet owners who want to let their animals run free.

Due to safety and sanitary issues, the school district posted signs last year that said, "No dogs allowed." They went ignored.

"I know that most owners pick up the solid waste of their dogs, but enough do not that we have to have a shovel ready to clear the fields for the children to play on," said Red Oak Elementary School Principal Jon Duim. "The liquid waste of the dogs is another matter and is an obvious health concern."

At Brookside Elementary, the problem isn't limited to the lower field behind the school. Dog waste is often left in a fencedin kindergarten play area and in a grassy area between the two main school buildings known as the quad.

"When a child cannot eat lunch on the grass in the quad because a dog has done its business and it is not cleaned up, then it becomes a bigger issue," said Loretta Brown, president of the Brookside school site council. "Our children participate in PE activities on the lower fields and are walking around, playing, rolling in the poop because there are, of course, a certain few who refuse to pick up after their pets."

At one time the school district had a more liberal on-campus dog policy. Dogs were permitted on campus as long as they were kept on a leash and were picked up after. But dog owners ignored those rules, said Superintendent Tony Knight.

"So we made the decision to not allow dogs on our campuses because people were using our schools as dog parks, letting them run loose and not cleaning up after them," Knight said.

School personnel have asked people with dogs to leave.

"Security report that some dog owners have been belligerent," Knight said. "We even had an incident at Oak Park High School last week where a resident had an altercation with one of our PE teachers and a student during school over this issue, if you can believe it."

But dog owners ignore the signs and continue bringing their pets to play on school grounds. Duim has tried several strategies to discourage dog visits, including altering lawn watering times, using security guards and calling the sheriff's department.

"This problem is not a priority to the sheriff's department, so they don't always respond," Duim said. "I have fielded many calls over the years from angry parents regarding the dogs. The dogs and their owners can easily be spotted from the street. I have chased the dogs and their owners off our campus many, many times."

District officials hope the new dog park being built by Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District in Oak Canyon Community Park will help matters. The dog park design is about to get underway and the facility is expected to be open by mid-summer.

"Oak Park has many parks and many areas in which to walk and exercise dogs, which is so great," Knight said. "We are asking that people respect our schools to be places for our children. That seems more than fair and reasonable."

It's not only students who are affected but also the many groups that use school facilities after school hours, Duim said. These include after-school care and sports groups.

"Once the weather warms up and there is more daylight we expect the problem to get worse," Duim said. "I am hopeful that a dog park will help with this problem."

Brown hopes Duim is right, but remains skeptical.

"Will this really change people walking out their door over to Brookside for their dog to take a quick run?" Brown said.