Community gets fired up over dogs on the beach

IF YOU spent any time on social media over the festive period, it would have been hard for you to escape the local Hervey Bay Community Groups lighting up over dogs on the beach.

I’ve been living on the Esplanade for over fifteen years, and I can assure you I’ve just about seen it all.

Little kids screaming that their little white fluffy has been attacked; owners yelling and abusing each other. It’s a weekly occurrence.

Last week I saw a guy riding his bike on the path across the road, followed by a gaggle of cross-bred rottweilers, all unrestrained, bounding behind.

That was a wow moment.

We have two staffies at our place, and we have long since dismissed the idea of taking them down to the beach for a walk or swim. It’s simply not worth the drama.

I see it every day. People get out of their cars with fido off a lead, running madly down to the beach unrestrained, despite the fact that the grassed area is not considered off-leash.

Irresponsible dog owners on the beach that clearly do not understand the difference between off-leash on the beach and actually having your dog under control and responding to commands.

My personal favourite is the old chestnut, “Don’t worry – he’s just playing”.

Generally, most well-socialised dogs strive to avoid physical or aggressive confrontations. Dogs use body language to communicate a desire to interact or desire to avoid an aggressive encounter. Like people, not all dogs are natural or skilled communicators with members of their species.

This is a really tough one for the council to handle, and I would assume the vast majority of poor dog behaviour on the beach goes unreported.

I should hasten to add that there are also a whole bunch of very responsible dog owners, who do the right thing, all the time.

But what do you think? Do we need more signage educating owners about what is expected at dog-friendly beaches?

I think it would help immensely. Send us a note and tell us.

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