Dog owners oppose proposed Cape beach rules
Category Cape Town
Dog owners in Kommetjie and surrounding areas, for whom playing with their pets on the beach is part of daily life, are up in arms over the City of Cape Town's plans for special demarcated animal zones.
This comes after the city invited residents of sub-council 19 and surrounding areas to participate in the revision and finalisation of these animal zones on the beach between Kommetjie and Blue Waters.
Kommetjie resident Margaret Luff, who owns three dogs and who has registered her opposition to the city's plan, says she doesn't understand "where all this is coming from".
"This is ludicrous. Why would they want to ban our dogs from the beach?" she said.
Luff added that she always picks up after her dogs, and complains that the public leave more of a mess on the beaches than their dogs do.
Fish Hoek pet owner Barbara Cunningham says that her dog needs its beach walks, because it aids its physical state.
"I own a three-legged dog that needs the exercise, and it can't do that on a lead. It needs to run free and not hop. And a dog on a lead often fights because it's being controlled," she said.
Cunningham complained that no one had yet explained how their dogs are causing problems on the beaches, so she had no idea why the rules needed to be changed.
Cunningham and Luff both added that having dogs walking with them on the beach provided some security too.
Luff said she retired and moved to Kommetjie especially so that she could be close to the beach and walk her dogs there, because she feels safe when she's with them.
Animal rescue organisation Tears weighed in too, saying the prevention of dog walking on the beaches presented a real concern.
The proposed zones were extreme in some cases, and in others were confusing.
But they effectively marginalised dog owners, regardless of their behaviour.
"The people who exhibit poor dog management are being lumped into the same group as those who socialise and train their dogs, and pick up after them when needed," the organisation said.
Belinda Walker, mayoral committee member for community services and special projects, told Weekend Argus the purpose of the proposal, and the associated public participation process, was to establish demarcated animal zones on beaches.
The intention was not to ban dogs from beaches.
"We recognise that beaches are important recreational space for many dogs," she said, but added that the city wanted to manage beaches optimally "as shared recreational spaces".
They wanted to "ensure that our coastline is an attractive and comfortable space for all", she added.
Source: Weekend Argus (Sunday Edition)
Author: IOL
