Thousand Oaks dog park attracts famous dogs, celebrities, mutts

ALL SMILES-Sondra Dakroob of Thousand Oaks and her three Rottweiler-mix dogs--Quasi, Franklin and Princess--enjoy a pleasant fall day at the dog park on Avenida de Las Flores. A Chihuahua named Gidget is restricted to the small-dog side of the Thousand Oaks dog park because of her size, but if she were to be judged by her fame, she'd be among the biggest of dogs.

The 12-year-old is best known for her Taco Bell commercial. In that spot she speaks with a male voice, but at the dog park she quietly runs and plays with her owner, Megan Valinote of Thousand Oaks, and her dog friends.

"The dog park is like camp for dogs. They don't have to feel protective, they just have a lot of fun," professional dog handler Valinote said.

Along with Gidget, Valinote brought stars who included an adorable Jack Russell named Ruby and a Pekinese named Moshi.

Those dogs are all professionals, but at the park they blend in with the other beloved pets, running free with not a care in the world.

"This i s wonderful for dogs. They are playful and free. It's very positive for them," Valinote said.

Sophia Crawford of Calabasas and Kim Marlatt of Moorpark agree. The friends met at the dog park three years ago.

The two sit on a picnic table as Crawford's American Eskimos Suki and Kato run around with Marlatt's beagle named Buster.

"Buster and Suki are boyfriend and girlfriend," Marlatt said.

The two fell in love at the dog park and are now inseparable when they meet together for about three hours a week, she said. After the dogs found each other, Marlatt and Crawford struck up a friendship and also look forward to their time together at the park.

"Dogs love coming to the park, and if we don't bring them, they'll pester us until we do," said Marlatt, a selfproclaimed stay-at-home dog's mom.

"We can walk and walk and walk our dogs, but they're not happy until they can come here and have social interaction," said Crawford, a stuntwoman who doubled for Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Also on the small-dog side were Dachshund puppies Ginger and Buttercup, owned by Patti Dengler of Westlake Village. The small dogs were all getting along beautifully.

Marlatt, who said she's been coming to the park for years, sometimes daily, has seen German shepherds and pit bulls behave aggressively through the fence in the bigdog section.

Simi Valley resident Cindy Kuhlman brings Shelby, her border collie/husky mix, to the big-dog side of the park to get exercise for both Shelby and herself. Kuhlman, who walks laps while Shelby plays, has some dressing tips for coming to the park.

"Wear comfortable clothes like jeans or sweats and tennis shoes," she said. "Don't wear sandals-some dogs like to lick toes."

Printed on a board at the park's entrance are rules to follow. "No treats" makes a lot of sense, so don't go into the dog park with bacon or other dog goodies in your pocket.

No one wants to be that popular with a pack of freerunning dogs.

Dogs outside the fence must be on leashes. Inside the 3.6acre park they're not permitted to be on leashes. Dogs 30 pounds or under go to the small side of the park, which encompasses about one-third of its area. Other rules: no puppies under 5 months old, no smoking, no females in heat and only three dogs per owner. All owners are asked to immediately clean up after their canines. Bags are provided.

Posted warning signs include: "There may be fights between dogs" and "Enter at Your Own Risk." Another sign says aggressive dogs may be excluded, after they have been determined to be aggressive, of course. While that's being assessed, it's best to closely follow the rule that prohibits people from running or jumping in the park. Inside the park are picnic

tables, benches, water fountains for both people and dogs, shade umbrellas and grass. There's even a dog wash station. Lights enable the park to stay open in the winter until 8:30 p.m. to simulate summertime daylight hours, said Loren Pluth, senior park planner.

People come from all around because many cities don't have dog parks. Nobody checks identification at the gate because it's a public facility, Pluth said.

"This is a popular facility that never lacks for users."

That's because people want their pets to be happy and healthy, according to Kuhlman.

"Shelby is my kid, so I take her to the park," she said.