Most dogs love to run free, play fetch or swim in the park. The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department allows dogs in all our county parks with the exception of the swimming areas at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach and Spring Lake Regional Park, and the hiking trails at Shiloh Regional Park. For the safety and enjoyment of all park users, dogs must remain on leash and under control at all times while in the parks. Please bring proof of rabies vaccination with you to the park. Dogs can run freely at the Elizabeth Perrone Dog Park, located at Sonoma Valley Regional Park, Animal Care Center Dog Park, located at Ragle Ranch Regional Park, and Ernie Smith Dog Park at Ernie Smith Community Park.

Parks are a place for all to enjoy, with a variety of visitors appreciating different things about each park. While some people are not comfortable around dogs in general, most don’t want an unfamiliar dog bounding toward them when their owner has let them run off leash. No person, or their dog, should ever feel threatened by another’s dog. Parks need to remain a safe, comfortable place for all park users.

A diverse array of wildlife and plants make their home in the county parks. All these inhabitants have laws to protect them from being disturbed. Unleashed dogs have been known to injure or kill park creatures ranging from gophers to deer. Wildlife can also be a danger to the unleashed dog. A dog's curiosity may get him sprayed by a skunk or net him a snout full of quills. Pet dogs have been killed by wildlife, in self-defense or for a meal. There is also the potential for exposure to rabies and distemper.

In addition to the leash law in county parks, there is also a requirement that owners clean up after their dog. Dog feces are smelly, unhealthy and unsightly. In addition, canine waste material carries diseases that can be deadly to foxes, otters, raccoons, skunks, and other animals.

Additional information on dog parks throughout Sonoma County