05/12/2023
Southern California Agility people now is the time to speak out and for a dedicated dog show and trial venue at Woodley Park in the San Fernando Valley.
American Kennel Club
NEW DOG SHOW/DOG SPORT AREA IN LOS ANGELES?
There is a possibility that a new venue will be developed.
Your Help and ACTION is NEEDED NOW!
Southern California dog people have an opportunity right now. The City of Los Angeles & the Army Corps of Engineers are considering reimagining the 2,000± acres in the San Fernando Valley commonly known as the Sepulveda Basin. The main functional goal is to serve as a flood catchment area for the Los Angeles River, which bisects the site, but beyond that, it serves as a public asset.
Many different special interests are included (some grandfathered) – archery, model airplanes, cricket, golf, as well as standard sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, swimming, etc. Pickleball, kayaking, & skateboarding are proposed new additions. Many dog people are working and hoping that a dog sports venue will find an official home there too.
Please comment on the Plan no later than December 18, 2023
There are TWO ways that you can submit your comment:
You can snail mail your comments, to be received no later than 12/18/23 to: Mr. Shun Yu Zhang, 1149 S. Broadway Suite 803, Los Angeles, CA 90015, Mail Stop 507
You can use the online comment form
After answering their basic data questions, there are three comment opportunities, but each is limited to 1500 characters max, and they are not sequential.
In recent years, we’ve all seen the loss of so many dog show sites, this could turn that around, but we’ll need your help! This is our only real chance at establishing a dog sports venue in the Southern California area, that will benefit the public and the many responsible participants in dog sports within extended area.
Please set aside some time to review the draft Vision Plan and to submit your comments no later than December 18, 2023.
Remember that we ideally need a site that:
at minimum, is the size of two soccer fields
has nearby restrooms
has access to electricity/power
has overhead lighting for evening classes
has ample adjacent parking
Please mention, in your comments, that dog shows and trials are substantial income generators for the surrounding community – hotels, restaurants, rentals, as well as ancillary support businesses. The economic benefits of canine events are significant, benefitting the local area and other parts of California as participants travel to the venue spending well over $100,000,000 (one hundred million dollars) in our community.
Remember that AKC sanctioned dog sports include Conformation, Agility, Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Scent Work, Barn Hunt, Disc (Frisbee) Dog, (Dock) Diving Dogs, Flyball, Search and Rescue, Coursing (CAT/FAST CAT), Earthdog, Fit Dog, Herding and Farm Dog, Public Service Dog, and more. Human participation in AKC dog sports ranges in age from P*e Wee handlers to Senior Citizens. These activities emphasize and teach the values of responsible dog ownership.
You can review the draft Vision Plan here.
Yes, it’s 271 pages long, but most of it is illustrations. Some highlights are set forth below.
In spite of a number of dog people attending the in-person meetings, there unfortunately are very few specific references in the Plan to what could become a dog sports facility that would accommodate weekly classes for things like conformation, obedience, agility, etc., as well as be a venue for shows, matches & trials. They do reference the existing dog park; this is an off-lead park not suitable for events.
The entire report is lengthy. Here are some page references that may be of interest.
Page 133: References creating “a sustainable revenue stream” & increasing “equitable recreation opportunities and outdoors access for a variety of users.” Both points are applicable to a dog sports facility.
Page 186: Community Recreation Center (including gymnasium, indoor recreation, and outdoor dog agility training spaces) – needs to be more than just agility.
Page 225: This appears to be the location that they’re considering for us – the Festival Plaza & Recreational Fields, although they only mention agility. This area includes two soccer fields with adjacent parking, so it could probably work for our purposes. The Hjelte soccer fields, new cricket, multiuse fields & other open sports fields could also be other options.
Please cross-post to all of your dog friends and encourage them to comment on the Plan before December 18, 2023.
Thank You!
Dennis B. Sprung
President & CEO
American Kennel Club
