Los Angeles – April 29, 2016 – An L.A. county ballot initiative is underway and gaining momentum to add 4 small off leash dog beaches across LA county.

They have collected nearly half the 200,000 signatures required to qualify for the Nov 8 election.

Jeff Douek & Jerry Teigen, the proponents of the county ballot initiative, are celebrating their 21st anniversary this Sunday, May 1 at noon at Pawsapalooza.

To celebrate their anniversary and to focus everyone’s attention on collecting the remaining 100,000 signatures needed before May 15, they will be offering the over 500 Pawsapalooza attendees free bread pudding from the nearby restaurant they own, WeHo Bistro.

Pawsapalooza / West Hollywood Park / Sunday May 1 from 10-3pm / 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. / Bread Pudding at 12:30

Angelenos are now demanding 4 small stretches of beaches in the L.A. area where dogs can roam off leash with owners to enjoy the California sunshine.

Together these 4 small stretches of beach would add up to only 1 mile of the 75 miles of LA county coastline.

Currently the most populous county in the country, has only 1 off leash dog beach and it’s located in Long Beach, California. The only other options for dog owners is to drive to Orange or Ventura counties, and that becomes an all day affair that is too far for most residents..

As ‘Pet Personification’ is no longer just a trend but a reality, and people today see their pets as children and part of the family, many residents feel an urgent need for dog beaches. By 2019, the pet industry is expected to hit $91.72 billion in sales. Peoples’ perceptions of pets have shifted from man’s best friend to man’s “surrogate  child.” Today’s attitude and sentiment toward animals has changed in California, and there is now a call for a few small stretches of beach to be devoted to dog lovers.

For the last five months, two veteran West Hollywood business owners have spearheaded the LAdogbeaches.com initiative to great success. Stanford University graduate, turned hotel tech and restaurant entrepreneur, Jeff Douek, and his husband and restaurant co-founder Jerry Teigen realized the need for beach time, when many of their clients of their popular restaurant, WeHo Bistro (located in the heart of West Hollywood), would bring their dogs to the cafe and often spoke of the issue with great compassion and desire.

“Today people treat their dogs like family like never before, and Los Angeles is one of the most dog friendly places in the world. There is no question that a city like this must have a few small stretches of beach dedicated to off leash, in this day and age, as dogs are now such a part of so many peoples lives of all ages,” says Teigen.

The two men say that the simple ballot initiative will make a lot of people happy, while not disturbing others and at a very low cost.

“Instead of ballot initiatives for internet rates or sewer lines, this is a grass roots effort to simply enjoy our beaches with our dogs. Pets are now most popular among couples with adult children, unmarried professionals, and childless couples. They are a huge part of the population and the family. According to the American Pet Products Association’s annual report on pet industry spending, Americans spent $58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets, so they sure do love their pets. Since Los Angeles County owns and operates so many beaches, a few should now include man’s best friend,” says Douek.

“Today, over 5,000 Angelenos have over 10,000 petitions at their home and offices. Now we need these people to sign and mail these petitions to WeHo Bistro 1040 N LA Cienega Blvd (corner Holloway Dr) West Hollywood, California 90069. We are nearly halfway there.

If you don’t have a petition yet, you can probably find one at your local dog park or go online, print and hand-sign the petitions at LAdogbeaches.com,” says Teigen.

“For those who drop off their completed petitions at WeHo Bistro, we offer a complimentary soup or our signature dessert bread pudding, hands down best in the city, at what has become LAdogbeaches.com unofficial headquarters. We welcome all to drop by with their dogs anytime,” adds Douek.

Other Southern California Dog beaches are:

Long Beach: Rosie’s Dog Beach, Ocean Boulevard between Granada and Roycroft Avenues, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Orange County: Huntington Dog Beach, 100 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

San Diego Ocean Beach Dog Beach, off Ocean Beach bike path, , open 24 hours daily.

San Diego Fiesta Island, off Fiesta Island Road, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Santa Barbara Arroyo Burro Beach, 2981 Cliff Drive, , 6 a.m. to sunset daily.

TV and radio producers, assignment editors, writers: To set up a news report shoot, or interviews on the beach with pet owners, the petition, Jerry Teigen, Jeff Douek and several residents who have signed the petition with their dogs in tow to meet you – please contact Jeff Douek at 323.668.0200. Thank you.