Wherever you go in San Diego County, your dog has to be on a leash. That’s the law. The exception of course being at one of the nearly 60 off-leash dog parks around the county, including MacArthur Park in La Mesa.
Some dog owners told NBC 7 that while they themselves have not received a citation for having their dog off the leash outside of the designated dog park area, they have seen it happen to other pet owners more than once.
“It was a $300 citation, which I thought was pretty high,” said Mauricio Lopez, a dog owner who comes to MacArthur Park every day with his English Setter, Cinnamon.
The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is in charge of issuing the citations, in accordance with its contract with the City of San Diego.
In a statement to NBC 7, Director of Public Relations, Nina Thompson, said, “Leash laws exist to protect both animals and people. Even if you trust that your dog will stay close, an off-leash dog can make others uncomfortable and may increase the risk of bites and fights.”
SDHS also provided NBC 7 with the number of citations that have been issued specifically at MacArthur Park. So far during the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, SDHS has issued 6 citations. During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, the organization issued 20 citations.
“San Diego Humane Society does not write these laws or set the associated fines, and the organization does not receive any revenue from fines that are issued,” said Thompson. “Our Humane Officers are not responsible for determining whether a dog is well behaved. Their role is to enforce the laws as they are written,” Thompson added.
“Usually if we saw that person come, immediately we’re putting on the leashes because you will get cited. So I’ve seen the actual action happen. Or it was a verbal warning,” said Keith Hass, who came to MacArthur Park on Saturday with his dog.
In May, the County Grand Jury filed a 27-page report claiming that SDHS was not properly enforcing leash laws. The lack of enforcement, according to the Grand Jury, led to a 90% decrease in citations over the last 5 years.
“Neither the City nor SDHS could provide an explanation for the substantial drop in issuance,” the report stated.
The Humane Society provided NBC 7 with a breakdown of the number of patrols it has performed at MacArthur Park over the last few fiscal years. In the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, SDHS performed 37 patrols to date. In the previous fiscal year, the organization carried out 90 patrols.
Thompson told NBC 7 that the city of La Mesa had requested that SDHS “maintain a presence to address ongoing off-leash issues,” because they routinely receive complaints about that park specifically. NBC 7 reached out to the city of La Mesa for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
While the Grand Jury stated that the Humane Society was not doing enough to enforce leash laws, some dog owners said they think the citations are a step too far.
“I don’t think it’s fair. A $300 citation for having your dog off-leash is just not even fair, I just think it’s kind of ridiculous,” said Joe Hanna, a dog owner who frequents MacArthur Park.
Hanna, Lopez, and Hass said that they would like to see the dog park expanded to give dogs more room to roam and get some exercise.
“If this can get expanded, because you know this is a little area and the park is really big,” said Lopez.
It’s unclear what specific changes could potentially be made to the park, however the city of La Mesa is currently working on its Parks Master Plan.
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