A day before he's set to call the Rose Bowl, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit decided to take his dog Peter to the beach in Southern California. The 14-month-old golden retriever has become something of a traveling phenomenon, accompanying the longtime college football personality on his many crisscross trips around the country, and Herbstreit figured that he would film Peter's reaction to a bit of run-around on the sand. But in Los Angeles, that's a problem.
Herbstreit posted a video on X on Tuesday morning, showing himself taking the excited Peter down to wealthy Manhattan Beach in LA's South Bay. Herbstreit lets the dog off his leash before the last set of stairs, with his dog racing down into the sand. The video ends with Herbstreit and his dog walking toward the Pacific Ocean.
Dog-loving Angelenos immediately spotted the problem. For starters, Los Angeles County has a blanket "no animals" policy on its beaches, save for one 4-acre stretch dubbed Rosie's Dog Beach, which is owned by the city of Long Beach. Manhattan Beach, farther north, adheres to the countywide policy while adding more of its own: The city's downtown website clearly states that no pets are allowed on the beach or the pier. Pet owners who walk along the strand, the paved surfside strip that runs below the city's downtown, are asked to keep their dogs leashed.
On a different city of Manhattan Beach website, it says that if Animal Control sees a dog off a leash, officials could pick up the pet and take it away, forcing owners to pay a release fee or get cited in court. It doesn't appear as though Herbstreit was caught in the act for this violation of rules. And of course, enforcement of the rules is unequal at best. Sandy dogs are a common sight in many upscale beach communities like Malibu and Manhattan Beach, regardless of the legal implications.
Herbstreit has become known in the college football world for traveling with one of his dogs. He started traveling with his oldest golden retriever, Ben, in October last year and quickly saw content around the dog go viral. Ben became a frequent presence at Herbstreit's side, even becoming officially certified as an emotional support animal until he died from leukemia in November this year.
Ben received several on-air tributes and even got Herbstreit a letter from President Joe Biden, with the leader of the free world offering his condolences. Herbstreit quickly began bringing Peter, the youngest of his family's golden retrievers, with him on the road for the rest of 2024. The Rose Bowl even posted a video of Peter on Monday, showing the dog getting off-leash time at a team practice Herbstreit attended.
Herbstreit will be on the call for ESPN alongside Chris Fowler for Wednesday's Rose Bowl matchup, which will see No. 1 Oregon face Ohio State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.