In the summer we were walking along Westshore Beach in Napier when a large rottweiler dog (not the one in the picture) came bounding towards us barking aggressively. Although it didn’t attack, it was a disconcerting experience. The woman owner showed up after about 20 seconds and called it away from us. We said nothing to her, but let her know from our look what we thought.
On the KCDC site there is this account of a Waikanae Beach woman, Jane Stevenson, who irresponsibly let two of her menacing dogs run loose on Waikanae Beach one morning when over a sand dune they found a man’s pet cat and mauled it to death. The council took the action detailed.
Our view is that dogs over a certain size (exempting ‘toy’ dogs like chihuahuas and poodles) should be kept on leashes at all times while on Waikanae footpaths, beaches and parks. What do you think?
Update
It seems Ms Stevenson didn’t like this post and threatened the KCDC to remove their case file from the public web, which they have. She also threatened Google to filter out this post from search results. In essence, however, the rest of the file states that the KCDC classified those two dogs as menacing which, among other things, means that she is required to have them muzzled when in a public place. She appealed the decision and lost. So if you see this woman with dogs that aren’t muzzled, report her to the KCDC — call 0800 486 486 from your cellphone, and use it to take a photo as evidence.
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It is no longer safe walking on an ON LEAD DOG on any beaches and parks in Kapiti where dogs are also allowed OFF the lead. Any dog trainer will tell you that to walk an on-lead dog in an area where there are ‘out of contro’l off-lead dogs – is fraught with danger for the on-lead dog and its owner. Many dogs on leads are attacked or harassed or ‘checked out’ by off-lead dogs, who are most times NOT IN THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE OWNER. Because of this I have stopped walking my ON-LEAD dog on the beach in the dog only areas. I regularly see many dog owners flouting their responsibilities towards other dog owners and other beach walkers. Most people who walk their dogs off a lead simply let them race about and wander for metres and metres away. They dont have them under control and should an event happen are often too far away to prevent an attack or call their dog to heel. I have at times been approached by large off lead dogs and the owner is unaware or simply doesn’t care or can’t call them back because they are not in control of their large off-lead dog. When is the KCDC going to stop dog owners from having off leash dogs on beaches around Kapiti where there are also On Lead dogs??? The beaches are supposed to be safe for other dog walkers and they are not. To have a dog on a lead is seen as being responsible – however when you are surrounded by off lead dogs, the situation for your own on-lead dog simply isn’t safe and your dog is potentially subject to attack. When will the KCDC sort out this crazy situation where supposedly they are trying to prevent dog attacks on other animals and dogs – but they confuse the issue and create the very thing they are trying to avoid by allowing both onlead and offlead dogs in the same area of the beach or parks. Its crazy and irresponsible. I hope the KCDC dog rangers will get the Council to change the dog rules so that responsible dog owners who have ON LEAD dogs are not having to run the gauntlet with large and potentially out of control dogs off leads allowed in these same areas. The dog rules have just got to be changed in Kapiti region – as it is a contradictory and confusing situation for all concerned.
Dogs to be allocated at different areas on the beach..?