4 Responses to “Dog Beach Hours Won’t Be Limited During Winter Months”
Comments
July 28th, 2010
Good for Councilmen Selich and Webb for voting against this stupid change to a good law. The existing law was put in place for a reason. To protect the rights of the general public and to reduce the liability to the City by having unleashed dogs on the beaches. Go to any beach anywhere that allows dogs and you will find scofflaws letting their dogs off leashes. The whole point for many dog owners for bringing their dog to the beach is to allow it the freedom to run around unfettered by a leash. Expecting people to comply with a leash law on the beach is naive. There will be no enforcement, because the PD doesn't want to be bothered with trivial matters like leash laws, and to my knowledge all the animal control officers are also dog owners, so guess who they side with. If anybody from the City (like maybe the park patrol - what a joke) ever monitored the bluff above Big Corona after dark they would find scofflaws with their dogs off the leash virtually every night. What makes anyone think they won't do this on the beach. I guaranty you will see dogs off leashes on a constant basis, especially after dark. So now we wait until someones dog bites a child or knocks over an elderly person and the City get sued.
July 28th, 2010
Jamie, You are a bit ignorant. First did you mean to say scofflaws, as in people breaking the law, or scuffles, as in dogs fighting with each other? Either way your argument is selfish and close minded. Having a ban on dogs or continuing to limit the hours people can walk their dogs on leashes will not eliminate irresponsible owners on the beach or anywhere else. People drink alcohol on the beach despite the law clearly banning such behavior - should we ban everyone from the beach? People park where they aren’t supposed to for longer than they are allowed – should we ban all cars? People litter, yet there are trash cans everywhere, etc. We live in a beautiful city with “public beaches, parks and parking” Jamie don’t punish the masses for the actions of a few. Or maybe you should live in a gated community with a private park or private beach. Believe it or not the majority of dog owners in Newport / CDM abide by the laws. We walk our dogs with their leashes on and we pick up our pets’ waste (as well as other trash when we see it)! The point of being on the beach with our pets is to exercise or pets and ourselves. We enjoy the outdoors and the beach, which is why we live by it - just as any other citizen would like to do with or without their pets. We want to freely enjoy the beaches which we own homes on or near. We understand that during the summer the beaches are crowded and some may be afraid of dogs, but in the winter when the beaches are bare there is no reason we can’t all responsibly enjoy the beaches together. I’m proud of the 5 council members who finally realized the ban was senseless. There is no need to punish responsible pet owners who pay their property taxes like everyone else. I just wish people would be more community minded than Jamie, who could clearly benefit from owning a dog and giving to someone/thing other than him/herself!
July 28th, 2010
K.J. - if you let your dog run off lease, please, please be sensitive to others on the beach who will not enjoy the company of your dog. Just this weekend I had to ask a woman to keep her dog on its leash while my small children were playing nearby. She immediately understood the situation and was very gracious. Not 15 minutes later a man let his two dogs off their leashes before I could say anything- and his dogs charged up to two women in their 20's who were VERY spooked and afraid. I love dogs and grew up with dogs - but I want to 'freely enjoy the beaches' with my children and friends without fear of being endangered or traumatized. Sometimes it has to be said: people are more important than pets.
July 29th, 2010
Response to "KJ." Ignorant, no. Yes I meant "scofflaws" as in people who feel the law does not apply to them. Yes, the majority of dog owners are responsible, and the majority of dogs are not violent. That is not the group which causes the majority of the problems. Like all "bad apples" it is a minority which ruins things for everyone else. Even with the "former" law I have personally seen Pit Bulls off their leashes on Big Corona. And this is why we enact laws like the wise and valid leash law which the Council so recklessly decimated because of a few vocal dog owners. This situation is why many cities designate an area as a dog park, or dog beach, to allow reasonable access to all. Mark my words, this will result in a lawsuit.
