About PIDO

Point Isabel Dog Owners & Friends (PIDO) is a nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers. Since 1985, we have worked to keep Point Isabel multi-use, clean, safe, and available for off-leash recreational dog walking. Please join PIDO and consider making a contribution to help us ensure that Point Isabel continues to be a wonderful place to walk dogs off-leash.

PIDO worked with East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) from 1985 to 1987 to help craft the Point Isabel Exception to EBRPD's Ordinance 38 (a set of rules that govern many aspects of EBRPD’s 73 parks). Ordinance 38 generally requires dogs to be on-leash on paved trails and in developed areas, such as cafés. At Point Isabel, dogs are allowed in those areas as long as they are under voice control.

Members

PIDO formed in 1985 with about 75 members. We incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2000. We currently have approximately 7,700 members.

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What we do

PIDO works to preserve off-leash recreation at Point Isabel. We emphasize the benefits of shared, multi-use recreation and educate park visitors about dog walking rules and etiquette, protecting wildlife, and park district news and rules.

We publish a newsletter, The PIDO Pointer , three times a year and send regular updates via email and social media platforms to our members.
We maintain two bulletin boards (one at each end of the park) with info and brochures for park visitors.
We maintain this website and a Facebook group page for our members and the public.

Dogs and their handlers dress up for Pt. Isabel annual Barktoberfest Halloween parade

We hold montly cleanups and host annual special events that are open to the public (and either free or for a nominal fee), such as:

Barktoberfest dog costume contest and parade
Earth Day volunteer work party (weeding, tree mulching)
Easter egg hunt (for children, who exchange plastic eggs for treats)
American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen testing
Off-Leash Skills training and refresher courses.

PIDO has worked hard to keep Point Isabel clean, safe, and, most importantly, off-leash for 40 years…

Over the years, PIDO has contributed more than $50,000 to East Bay Regional Park District's Regional Parks Foundation toward the purchase of MuttMitt® bags. (Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to contribute $2,000 most years. When park visitor numbers soared during the pandemic in 2020, we were grateful to be able to bump that up to $6,000 in support of the park district.)

PIDO Board of Directors

Officers

Chris Matthews, Chair

Lew Jacobson, Vice Chair

Rochelle Nason, Treasurer

AJ Benham, Secretary

Mary Ann Campbell, Past Chair

Members at Large

Priscilla Hoffnagle

Robert O’Brien