No Dogs Allowed on Rancho Palos Verdes Beach Starting Saturday

Though dog owners who bring their pets to Rancho Palos Verdes Beach could face hefty fines beginning this weekend, it's unclear how closely beachgoers will follow tightened rules prohibiting animals at the longtime, unofficial dog beach.

Included on lists of "secret" dog beaches in Los Angeles County, the favorite spot of many South Bay pooch owners was shut down by Rancho Palos Verdes City Council members who, in April, that would have turned the beach into an official off-leash hangout. The council has since turned its attention to creating a dog park and was set to discuss location options during its Tuesday night meeting.

Since the April meeting, authorities patrolling the beach have been handing out small cards that outline beach rules. Starting Saturday, the 30-day public education period will end and the city’s existing ordinance prohibiting animals on city beaches will be fully enforced.

Vandalized signs at Rancho Palos Verdes Beach, put up to temporarily alert the public about the city's rules until permanent ones are in place, don't startle city officials who say it's nothing new.

"We’ve experienced that before," Deputy City Manager Carolynn Petru said. [The signs] oftentimes get vandalized or taken. That's not a new phenomenon to us."

Some of the laminated signs have been torn up and thrown in bushes, she said, and maintenance crews are replacing them three or four times a week.

"We're kind of expecting that," Petru said.

Someone who brings their dog to the beach beginning Saturday could be fined $50. However, after court costs, that amount could increase to $270, she said.

Petru said while some might continue to break the rules and bring their dogs to the beach, they should expect to have to pay for it sooner or later.

"As far as people not obeying the law, I guess I kind of look at it like speeding," she said. "People will speed even though it's against the law. They might get away with it, but eventually if they do it enough they'll get caught."

And it's likely any initial enforcement pushback will die down, similar to other city decisions that weren't necessarily accepted at first, Petru said.

"There's a lot of consternation when it first gets started, but it does settle down over time," she said. "I expect that to happen here."