A public commenter and dog‑park users told the La Mesa City Council on July 22 that recent enforcement and the size of fenced off‑leash areas at MacArthur Park are discouraging visits and creating management challenges, and a council member said she will bring a future proposal to address dog waste in public spaces.

Craig Honeywell, who identified himself as a nearby resident and frequent user of MacArthur Park, described a decline in visitation since the humane society increased enforcement and said tickets were issued “without anyone's being given their first warning or violation.” He told the council there are two fenced areas for off‑leash dogs — a larger and a smaller pen — and said the larger pen can become overcrowded and increase aggressive behavior among dogs. “Some dog owners are reluctant to bring their dogs into the area due to the lack of size and the amount of dogs playing in this small area,” Honeywell said, and asked the council to consider expanding unfenced off‑leash space similar to other regional parks.

Council Member Tristan Lothian spoke about separate neighborhood dog‑waste concerns earlier in the meeting and described meeting a local entrepreneur who runs a pet‑waste removal service. Lothian said she and the neighbor collected “10 hefty bags of dog doo” from alleys and that she will bring a future council agenda item proposing a simple solution to dog waste in public spaces. Lothian said the neighborhood group helps ensure people pick up after their pets and monitors interactions to limit nuisance behavior.

No formal council action occurred on MacArthur Park rules or enforcement at the meeting; both the public comment and the councilmember’s announcement were informational. The council did not direct staff to change park fencing or enforcement practices at this time.

Residents who raised concerns asked the city to review pen sizes, enforcement warning procedures, and whether additional off‑leash square footage would reduce confrontations and encourage more park use.