Beverly Hills opens its exclusive new dog park

It’s been 12 years in the making, but the city of Beverly Hills finally has its first official dog park. After much heated debate over questions ranging from park hours to the increased risk of dog bites, the 19,000-square-foot park broke ground in May and opened today with a ceremony catered by Sprinkles Cupcakes.

Now, if your first thought upon reading this was, "How nice! I live in a neighboring community and will have a new place to enjoy time with my favorite pet," you might be in for a letdown. The incredibly exclusive park is for Beverly Hills residents and employees of city businesses only. Hotel guests and visitors staying with local residents will also have the opportunity to apply for a temporary access permit, but it’s only good for two weeks—and applying is a bit of a process.

To distinguish area dogs from the mongrels of nearby West Hollywood, Century City, or (God forbid) Pico-Robertson, the city will employ a registration system by which owners must apply for special tags marking their dogs as approved for park access. To be eligible for a permit, dogs must also be properly licensed. That makes the park exclusive indeed, as less than 20 percent of dog owners in California have bothered with this step.

For at least the first six months, the locals-only restrictions will be enforced by a park ranger, while closed-circuit cameras will monitor the scene to make sure everything is on the up-and-up. Other rules include a ban on dogs under four months of age, a no-treats policy, and a limit on bringing in more than three dogs. Failure to follow any or all of these rules can lead to the city revoking your dog’s permit (naturally).

Located at the corner of Foothill Road and Alden Drive, the off-leash park is divided into two areas that keep smaller and larger breeds apart. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

• Beverly Hills Community Dog Park Opens Today [Beverly Hills Courier]
• Beverly Hills is Getting Its First Dog Park and It's Going to Be Super Exclusive [Curbed LA]
• Beverly Hills is Finally Getting Its First Dog Park [Curbed LA]

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