It’s a New Year and a new beginning… for some.
On Santa Cruz County beaches, it’s the same old story: wildlife and beach-goers looking for quiet contemplation of the natural world are driven away by packs of dogs running off-leash, and their owners who allow them to roam in violation of County leash laws.
Santa Cruz County has strict dog leash and defecation laws, making it illegal to allow dogs to run off-leash and/or defecate anywhere in the County away from their owners’ property. County Animal Services is tasked with enforcing County leash laws, in spite of inadequate funding that limits their ability to respond to obvious illegal off-leash activities on local beaches.
It is perfectly legal to bring dogs to County beaches on-leash, as a minority of dog owners responsibly do. Off-leash activities this time of year are not the result of visitors unaware of local laws. Dog owners on the beaches in winter months are locals, fully aware of local laws and regulations regarding off-leash laws. Many have already received warnings and fines from Animal Services, yet continue their illegal activities.
County leash laws were written to protect County residents, their dogs, other domestic animals and wildlife from harassment and injury from dogs running at large. County leash laws serve the greater good, sacrificing the absolute freedom of the few for the greater good of the general population.
Santa Cruz County beaches border the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which begins at mean high tide. The National Marine Sanctuary Act forbids harassment of any wildlife within the Sanctuary, which includes off-leash dogs chasing birds and other wildlife on the beach. Shore birds and other wildlife depend on free and unfettered access to beach habitats for feeding, resting and breeding. They can live no where else; reduction of their habitat leads directly to species extinction.
The County Animal Services Board of Directors has underscored its support for enforcement of existing County leash laws, and has recommend to the County Board of Supervisors to create enclosed and fenced off-leash dog play areas in existing County parks wherever possible. County beaches cannot be enclosed and fenced, by the California Coastal Act, so these off-leash areas will be established in existing inland parks, such as the large, fenced off-leash area in Chanticleer Park.
It’s time for all dog owners to be responsible to other County residents, obey the County leash laws and leave their dogs on leash when visiting County beaches.
When you are out there enjoying "enjoying the beach" like it or not, you are leaving your footprint. Without taking it to the extreme, your point is moot.
There is no reason to vere away from the basic concern about off-leash dogs on the beach by dismissing the effect that is real when dogs are leashed and walking with their humans.
No one but I may say what I hate or love, nor what I want or don't want. Allowing domestic animals to disrupt wildlife habitat on the beach is not "the joys of being free in nature." It is irresponsible behavior of the part of humans who take no care for the natural world.
@Michael A. Lewis: I agree with you 100% and also with "Humans are not the only species on Earth. We only act like it."
The use of boats is regulated in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary. Jet skis are banned and the use of other types of boats are subjected to pollution and safety regulations with random inspections. The initial requirement for dogs to be on leashes was for public safety. That ordinance was passed more than 40 years ago. Now there is more public awareness about the environment and wild life habitats. A few years ago there were very few off leash dogs on the beaches, they were at a tolerable level, but recently it has spiraled out of control and needs to be curbed. The current ordinance provides for sharing the beach, that includes on leash dogs. Unfortunately a minority do not consider that their dog being on a leash is sharing and would rather have activity on the beach which a prudent person would avoid. If dog owners had any respect for their pet they would not want to expose their dog to the risk of an attack.
You may have a well behaved dog, but you can't trust every dog around yours. Wait to you have a vet bill for over $500 and that's a modest bill. If you are lucky you'll get a positive identification of the offending dog's owner. My fiends' have not been so lucky. In two cases no one took ownership of the offending dog although in both cases the owners were within 150 ft of the incident. In the third case an owner apologized and offered to pay the vet bill and provided a phony phone number. It was lucky for the injured dog that it's owner had the financial wherewithal to pay the bill. You should talk to someone that works at a veterinary hospital and see how common it is for owners to have their pets euthanized because they can't afford the treatment. When I took my injured dog to the vet, he told me that the last place a person should take a dog is to the beach.
And David, be careful when you start judging the character of people. It's not prudent.
Santa Cruz County has no laws against skimmers, joggers nor unruly children. Santa Cruz County does have laws prohibiting dogs off-leash. Those who let their dogs run off-leash on County beaches are breaking the law.
This discussion in this thread is about existing Santa Cruz County leash laws that make it illegal to allow dogs to run off-leash anywhere in Santa Cruz County. Those who let their dogs run loose on County beaches are lawbreakers, subject to fines and public obloquy.
Paying a fine does not give one the right to break the law. Fines are punishment for lawbreaking and incentive to obey the law.
50 years ago, Santa Cruz County population was 66,219. Today the population of the county is 264,228, 200,000 more people and a proportionate increase in dogs running off-leash. If everyone did the right thing, there would be no need for rules and regulations. Sadly, many people decide their personal needs and desires are more important than the needs and desires of the community. Leash laws are written and enforced in response to attacks by unleashed dogs on people, other dogs, other domesticated animals and wildlife.
Are we being asked that the shoreline become an official sacrifice area to allow a single use, that is off-leash dogs? Somehow I do not see our Supervisors allowing such a blatant reversal of concern for the safety of humans and dogs, as well as the environment. If one wants one's dog to run free, there are many opportunities throughout the County, where single-use, enclosed dog play areas are provided and I do see the Supervisors voting to increase that number of fenced dog play areas in the months ahead. The dogs can run free. Their humans can socialize too. The beach can continue to be a safe place for everyone.
There is always enough 'data' to support ANY position. I rememeber walking the long shorliines of the beach around Sea Cliff. The birds were playing...dive bombing my DOG. Both having fun. Everyone walking; jogging and dogs playing, OFF LEASH. Where the heck is a dog supposed to go to run and play any more? Sad.
Now, it's not as you remember it. People, including me, ignored off leash dogs. They were mellow and no one that I know advocated enforcing leash laws; in fact we got upset if a neighborhood dog got picked up. But now it's out of control due to lack of enforcement. ACS has stepped up enforcement in the last eleven months. That's why you hear all the whining. They went through a period of about two months were they were just warning and educating people. But now it's ticket time. Dogs can run free, socialize and play with other dogs in the off leash dog parks and bother no one. They are a joy to watch.
I lived in Santa Cruz for 25 years. I've been in Oregon for seven years now and I have not missed anything about SC nor have I been back once. Really sad. Just too many people there now.
If you think your being bothered by dogs and your thinking off-leash dogs are risky and your laws passed without due process--often by administrative fiat--are going to stop an activity which is for many people a core enjoyment in life........then you've been smoking too much of that stuff that is now effectively legal because too many people--including the police---were enjoying it in defiance of the law to keep it illegal. Of course, the police love leash laws, because enforcing them is lots safer than fighting gangs or domestic violence.
In fact, it is not clear that "very large numbers of otherwise law-abiding people think the leash laws are a mistake." There are maybe fifty people who regularly allow their dogs to run off-leash on local beaches. This is a tiny minority of the 266,000 people who live in Santa Cruz County. These fifty people have an inordinate impact on coastal habitat, virtually removing bird life from the beaches when they are present. This is more than a local concern. Beaches are sensitive habitat under the jurisdiction of state and federal regulatory agencies. It is not just the purview of the County Board of Supervisors. Any action taken at the county level will initiate state and federal response. The health and viability of sensitive species' habitat takes precedence over individual human preferences.
By the way, the birds were not playing with your dog. That dive-bombing behavior was a protective act, as the birds view canines as predators. The birds were not "having fun;" they were jeopardized and stressed by the presence of the dog.
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