Ohlone Dog Park 

Ohlone Park is a public park in Berkeley, California, United States, located on a strip of land between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Sacramento Street on the northside of Hearst Avenue. The Richmond–Warm Springs/South Fremont and Richmond–Daly City lines of the Bay Area Mass Transit system use a subway that is directly underground. The Ohlone Greenway runs across it.

The park was established on the spur of the moment by Berkeley residents in response to the People’s Park controversy in the late 1960s. The property was formerly inhabited by homes that were purchased and later demolished by BART after the building of its Berkeley subway. BART decided to construct apartment buildings on the strip after the subway trench was filled in. Berkeley residents, however, started planting sod and trees before their designs were over, giving the strip the name “People’s Park Annex.”

BART decided to hand over the Hearst strip to the City of Berkeley after much haggling and public debate. The park was given the name “Ohlone Park” after the indigenous people of the region.

In 1979, the Experimental Dog Park in Ohlone Park at Hearst and Grant Streets was founded by the City of Berkeley. This special municipal complex, now known as the Martha Scott Benedict Memorial Park, offers a secure space for dogs to exercise off-leash in the center of the city. There is plenty of space for owners to rest and socialize with their pets because the place is a true park, not just a dog run.

The Ohlone Dog Park Association started as a club in 1984 and then became a California non-profit educational organization in 1986. The Ohlone Dog Park Association has a mailing list of around 300 people who are involved in keeping the Dog Park open, encouraging the construction of new dog parks, and improving conditions for dogs and dog owners in the Berkeley/East Bay area in general. 

The Ohlone Dog Park is a fenced-in section of Ohlone Park, a five-block-long multi-use urban park in Berkeley, California, that includes soccer fields, children’s playgrounds, and softball fields. The dog park, which is not to be confused with a dog park of the same name in neighboring Hercules, California, is split into two sections: a small dog area for dogs under 30 pounds and a big dog area where larger dogs will chase a ball, charge after a Frisbee, or simply socialize with other dogs and dog owners.

It has a reputation for being a fun place to play, but it is too short to be considered a good place for a long walk. Since it is an urban park, it is subject to some of the multi-use ambiguity that comes with it, such as concerns from other visitors and nearby people about barking or uncontrolled pets. 

Pet owners are expected to tidy up after their animals. Dogs must be on a leash before they reach the fenced enclosure, and they must be registered and wearing an ID and rabies verification badge on their collar. It’s suggested that visitors don’t carry dangerous dogs or puppies to the facility, and that they’d be mindful that the park is located in a suburban area. The park was renovated for $450,000 in 2014-2016, with the installation of a small dog area, water fountains, and a completely lined sidewalk to make it wheelchair accessible. There are also several picnic tables and benches where dog owners can rest and socialize.