UC Santa Cruz could ban dogs at coastal campus trail

Walking your dog along UC Santa Cruz’s coastal campus will become a thing of the past. For years the coastal trail has drawn dozens of people and dog walkers but the school is worried about the impact on the environment.

Paul Gallagher is a Santa Cruz resident and has been walking his dogs at the coastal trail for 13 years. Gallagher said he doesn’t want to have to take 5-year-old Ella somewhere else.

“Having this asset here, and having the university letting us use was great. Now that it’s being taken away we were pretty, we’re sad,” said Gallagher.

University officials have said they’re concerned about off leash dogs disturbing the wildlife in the trail area in the Lagoon Reserve but Gallagher said the schools plan for construction of another biology building would disturb the wildlife more than dogs will.

“I’d say you know 95 percent of the dog walkers are really conscious here,” said Gallagher.

Gallagher is one of the people who has reached out to the university pushing for a leash law instead of banning dogs here altogether.

Dog owners are not happy and have started an online petition on change.org that already has 297 supporters.

But is it enough to get UCSC officials to reverse their decision on allowing dogs at the coastal trail? SO far Gallagher said he’s not optimistic.

“My feeling is we’re going to be pushed off, I mean the construction started here last week, I really haven’t heard anything back from the university outside a form letters that are pretty bureaucratic,” said Gallagher.

Meanwhile, some people are supporting the University’s decision to ban dogs on these trails. Dena VanCurran said she’s one of them and not just because she’s allergic to dogs.

“There’s a certain area that they are spending a lot of time and money and effort on trying to conserve and preserve, then we have to do whats right,” said VanCurran.

Gallagher hopes there’s room for compromise.

“I’ I think the least the university could do is allow dogs to be out here on leash,” Gallagher said.

The ban on dogs on or off leash is set to take effect June first.

Dog owners who oppose the ban said they haven’t given up yet
they’re still hoping University officials will change their mind.