The City’s removal recently of a makeshift rock pet memorial on Fiesta Island has led to a call for the creation of a permanent memorial there. But there are significant hurdles to be cleared in order for any such effort to be successful.
Over the years, people using the off-leash area of the man-made island to walk their pets had been placing painted rocks to honor dogs they’d lost. The memorial was in a six-foot-diameter spot next to a path in the middle of more than 90 acres.
City crews had been mowing around the makeshift memorial. But recently, the City asked the owners of the rocks to remove them from the memorial, after someone complained of a canine being buried close by. Any rocks that had not been picked up by their owners were eventually removed by the City and stored. Those rocks can still be retrieved by calling the park ranger’s office at 858-581-7602.
The removal of the memorial dog rock garden led Fiesta Island Dog Owners to write: “FIDO is saddened by this and is working to install a similar memorial that is ‘legally’ placed.”
So what would it take to construct a permanent memorial for deceased pets in the off-leash section of Fiesta Island?
“Organizations wishing to install memorial sites at locations including Fiesta Island are encouraged to reach out to their local community recreation group or appropriate advisory body to solicit community feedback related to the proposal,” said Tim Graham, City supervising public information officer. “Any proposal would be required to follow procedures outlined in Park Board Policy 1002. After community input and review, the proposal would be subject to approval by designated committees including the Mission Bay Park Committee and San Diego Park and Recreation Board.”
Dog owners said they’d support a legal public dog memorial at Fiesta Island.
“I’ve been going to Fiesta Island Dog Park for almost 20 years and had four rocks that I painted and placed in the memorial, and I’m disappointed that the city removed it; it was only about three feet across and was not in the way or bothering anybody – just a sweet, organic tribute to our four-legged friends,” said Kathy Parrish. “Each rock represented the spirit of a dog who brought their human to the island to walk, run, bike, and just enjoy the beauty of Mission Bay.”
“Our beloved dog, Dino Vito, crossed the rainbow bridge in 2018,” noted Sandie Nobile. “As with all dog owners, we were devastated and still feel the void in our lives. My husband and I took Dino to Fiesta Island at least three times per week where he frolicked and played with many other dogs. So many of us call this special place ‘Doggie Disneyland.’ It is just as special to us humans.”
Added Nobile: “Sadly, the City decided to remove this harmless memorial area on March 27 because it wasn’t ‘approved’ by them. This was heavy-handed and heartless. That little informal memorial area did not pose any safety issues at all but did provide solace to many, many dog owners.”
“We had our dog Mila Miesner, a local dog celebrity who has starred in several movies, videos, and commercials,” said Denise Miesner. “Her favorite place to walk was Fiesta Island. When she died, we wanted to do something to memorialize her in her favorite spot. So we created a rock, which we placed at the memorial. I don’t understand how the memorial hurts anything. They have such memorials at many of the dog parks. I would love to put Mila’s stone back.”
PARK BOARD POLICY
City Park and Recreation Board policy requires gifts of architectural features, works of art and commemorative plaques for public parks or other City-owned land to: add to the interest and attractiveness of the parks, or be of service to patrons of the parks, i.e., drinking fountains, benches; be reviewed by the Park and Recreation Board and submitted by them to the City Council with recommendations; be coordinated for review with the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture; may serve as a recognition to an individual or group; living or dead, who have made a significant contribution to a specific park or community, commemorate an historic occasion, or acknowledge interest of a group or individual in a park; and costs of development and placement of a decorative memorial or commemorative feature shall be borne totally by private funds. Costs may be shared by the City if the “feature” provides a service to park patrons.
