Ohlone Dog Park
BERKELEY HISTORY
OHLONE DOG PARK
Berkeley’s Ohlone Dog Park, situated along a strip of land cleared in the 1960s
for BART undergrounding, is widely considered the world’s first dog park.
Development plans for the area were upended when activists occupied and
dubbed the strip “People’s Park Annex.” In 1979 a group of residents gathered
here to declare the area a park for dogs. What started as an experiment was made
official in 1983, and the non-profit Ohlone Dog Park Association (ODPA, pronounced
"odd paw") was formed to help maintain it. A fire hydrant in the
park is dedicated to Doris Richards, the longest sitting ODPA president, and
there is a sign honoring Martha Scott Benedict, the founders’ leader.
Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
www.berkeleyplaques.org
2016