David Heilpern was recently roasted here by P. Lawrence, who sees ‘no problem’ with the issue of dogs on local beaches. Lawrence, in his 25 years here, has only ‘seen’ single digit dog numbers in no-dog zones! I wonder where he goes, because on my regular forays, I come across them, nearly every time!
I invite P. Lawrence to visit the dunes, reserves and non-dog beaches around South Golden Beach and Ocean Shores. You will undoubtedly see dogs off-leash above the high tide line, off-leash in the dunes, paths and reserves, and see the ‘entitled’ few proudly dog-walking past the ends of dog zones. All are illegal!
The signage is clear, so ignorance seems to be the issue, as well as irresponsibility. One ‘dude’ recently told me that the nature reserve was a ‘dog reserve’! Some tell me that it’s okay for their dog to repeatedly chase and exhaust the surviving, resting shorebirds, as the dog never catches them!
Then read recent letters about local wildlife (and human) attacks by off-leash dogs.
So, it is right that Heilpern seeks a solution. Unfortunately, enforcement of some kind should be urgently considered against the selfish few, to protect what little wildlife remains. After all, when was the last time you saw a wallaby in SGB/OS?
Oh, and thanks to the vast majority of dog owners who do the right thing every time.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
