The Kouga Municipality intends banning all dogs from our beaches under certain conditions and have called for public participation and comments.
This follows a ban that was successfully put into effect on several Cape Town’s main beaches this festive season, including the popular Clifton Fourth. Camps Bay and Mnandi are also dog-free until the end of this summer season, about mid January. It is believed other coastal municipalities are also considering or planning to follow in the footsteps of Cape Town Metro.
All Kouga residents and visitors are urged to make comments on this highly contentious issue before 12 January 2012. Dogs on Cape Town’s beaches sparked much heated debate.
Kouga Municipality hopes to determine whether:
* there should be an outright ban on dogs;
* dogs should only be banned from some beaches like the popular Main Beach and Anne Avenue beach;
* dogs should only be banned during season on some beaches;
* if dogs should only be allowed on beaches if they are on leashes.
Failure to get sufficient comments from members of the public could lead to the outright banning of dogs on all Kouga’s beaches or banned under conditions not liked by many residents.
“A final decision about the banning of dogs from all or demarcated beaches will only be made once public comment has been received and considered,” the municipality announced in a notice put out before Christmas. “For many, dog-walking is an important part of their coastal experience as well as a form of social recreation. We would, therefore, like to encourage anyone with strong feelings about the matter to submit their comment to the Municipal Manager.”
The reason the Council is considering banning dogs from all or demarcated beaches is because of numerous complaints from beach-goers about aggressive dogs on the beach. There have also been attacks in the past or about owners not cleaning up after their dogs.
All objections must be submitted by January 12. The objection has to be in writing addressed to the municipal manager and sent to 33 Da Gama Road, Jeffreys Bay.
According to Cape Town’s new city regulations heavy fines will be levied on dog-walkers using the three popular beaches – including free running dogs and those on leashes.
Reasons given there include the fact that dogs can, at times, negatively impact on the experience of other beach-users, such as finding the beach full of dog excrement, being attacked by dogs, or having one’s own dogs on leashes attacked by free roaming dogs.
A woman was attacked in Cape Town and had to undergo surgery. The owner of the dog was fined R1500 as he had contravened the rules of walking dogs on the beaches.
Metro police are conducting regular patrols on the beaches to monitor the city’s by-laws. Owners can be fined between R500 and R2000 for offences that include permitting a dog to be in a public street or public place without being on a leash and under control and permitting “any dog which is ferocious, vicious or dangerous to be in any public street or public place, unless humanely muzzled and held on a leash and under control”.
St Francis Chronicle asked various people to comment. St Francis Bay vet, Dr Nerine Botha, believes during winter months dogs on leashes should be allowed on beaches. In high season she considers it may be acceptable for people to take their leashed dogs for walks on the beaches before 7 am and after 5 pm . She does not promote a total ban on dogs on beaches.
Animal lover, Diane Firth, would like to see all dogs on leashes.
Nigel Aitken, who was been unable to discuss the subject with the SFBRA (St Francis Bay residents’ Association) committee before this paper went to press, said it appeared the most preferable solution would be to limit dog walking areas to the beach area between Peter Road and the Kromme River mouth during holiday seasons (Christmas and Easter), leaving all other beaches as strictly bathing beaches. “In off-peak times, local residents tend to be responsible dog owners and few if any problems are experienced.”
On FB some people aired the views about this topic:
“Dogs have the right to beaches more than anyone! It’s their happy place. And no they do not cause half the problems the drunks do, or people defecating on the beach or littering. Some people use dogs for protection on early morning runs. It is unsafe on some beaches for women to go walking alone during nocturnal hours.”
“As long as owners keep them on leads. Not all dogs are friendly.”
“People should also learn to pick up after their dogs. It’s very off putting taking a walk along the beach and to constantly side step doggy landmines.”
In the UK and in the Channels Islands, like Guernsey, dogs are also banned from some beaches during high season.
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I would like to know when they will start policing the drunks on main beach. People who only come to the beach to drink openingly and excessevely and make it extremely unpleasant for law abiding citizens. I thought it was illegal to drink alcohol on our public beaches. Why is this problem not being addressed.
To all dog lovers,
What is going on in Jeffreys. We have the most wonderfull beaches and God created them for all living creatures. Our dogs needs a place to play and walk and have social contact with other dogs. Kabeljouws is the most perfect place, away from all the other beaches. Lets stand up together to have a beach for our dogs. You can sign a petiton at every Vet in Jeffreys, do it before the 12th of January, our write your own letter.
I do not own a dog and have seen no aggressive dogs on our beaches. Dog owners should definitely clean up after their pets on the beach. To add to this I think a greater problem is the litter at main beach. I was disgusted to see drunk men spending the day at the beach, taking all their belongings and leaving their KFC food containers and plastic bags strewn on the sand. This is an issue to address.
Here is the content of my letter to the Kouga Municipality:
1. I refer to notice number 119/2012 that appeared in the Kouga Express of Thursday, 20 December 2012, stating that you invite comments and objections to the banning of dogs on Kouga Beaches.
2. My family and I have been regular holidayers in Kouga for a number of years. During our holidays there we spend a considerable amount of time on the beach and it has become an important, pleasureable part of our holiday to have our dog with us and to have him on the beach with us. We are also aware and it has been our experience that it is the same for hundreds of other holidaygoers in your area, not to mention the permanent residents.
3. I would like to object to the implementation of your decision and to provide you with some comments in respect thereof.
4. As I understand from an article in the St Francis Chronicle, the decision was made, because complaints were received about two aspects concerning dogs, both of which can be easily addressed by other less restrictive means. The first is that there have been complaints about aggressive dogs and the second is that dogs deficate on the beaches. I will deal with them in that order.
5. Personally, I have not seen or heard about an incident where there was an aggressive dog on a beach and for the most parts, dogs that I would have been weary of, have always been held on leashes. I accept that, as with normal streets and houses in normal suburbs there are sometimes incidents involving aggressive dogs, but I am also sure that comparatively speaking, incidents on beaches are far less. It is my experience that people who take their dogs to the beach are responsible, conciencious dog owners who know their dogs and act accordingly. For insofar as aggressive dogs do exist and for insofar as they may pose a problem to the public, the problem can just as easy be curbed by making it compulsory to have dogs on leashes during the times that regular beachgoers are on the beach. I would suggest from 08h00 to 17h00. Not only will this rule out the possibility of an aggressive dog posing a problem to beachgoers, but will also assist for insofar as the second problem of defacating goes, as the owner has more control over the dog and, accordingly, is more aware of what it is doing at any given time.
6. Some may want to say, but how will the rule of leashes and aggressive dogs be enforced and the answer is simple: It will be no easier or more difficult to enforce than to enforce a rule that no dogs are allowed or that people are not allowed to be aggressive towards beachgoers. On this point, it pays to mention that in all the years that I have been on beaches I have seen, encountered and heard of far more incidents involving aggressive humans on the beach than I have involving dogs. Surely, you will not ban humans from the beaches because some act aggressively?
7. The last mentioned statement brings me to the problem of defacation. I have also seen faeces on your beaches – that of dogs and that of humans. Again, it is my experience that people who take their dogs to the beach are responsible, conciencious dog owners who pick up after their dogs and those that don’t are in the minority. The problem is far smaller than that of littering and surely you do not intend banning all humans from beaches because some of them litter? Just as all members of the public are supposed to pick up after themselves, dog owners should too and picking up after ones dog should be made compulsory – I cannot argue against that. What I can argue against is whether it will serve any greater purpose to ban all dogs from beaches, where the problem can just as easily be addressed and enforced by laying down other, less stringent laws – like leashes and picking up. If my dog is on a leash, I cannot miss it if and when he deficates and I cannot have any excuses that I did not pick up after him.
8. Again, it will not be any easier or more difficult to enforce than a rule against dogs on beaches, no littering or defacating in public by humans etcetera.
9. Lastly, if you do no accept may aforementioned proposals, I pose the following more stringent alternatives that you should consider: Dogs could be allowed on some beaches and banned from others or dogs can be banned from beaches between the hours of 08h00 and 17h00.
10. I trust that you will consider my proposals favourably.