wightdogs.com ISLE of WIGHT DOGS and OWNERS

Apart from a few summer days dog walkers out number holiday makers using the foreshore, so let us propose that the time restrictions be revised to allow us walkers to use the beaches prior to 9 am and after 6pm. Holidaymakers are not on the beaches at those times. The cost of daily sweeping the beaches, which are mainly undisturbed anyway must be considerable, In my opinion a beach should remain in a disturbed condition with sand castles, holes dug etc. giving a much more friendly seaside atmosphere than the clinical ones that they now are. Anyone else share my opinion ?

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Completely agree with you on that Lara, and from the views expressed to me by many dog walkers this is a widely held view, it would not inconvenience anybody because as you say the holidaymakers don't start using the beach until 10 o'clock. Although this would be of great benefit to the large dog owning community who are greatly inconvenienced and compromised by the lack of suitable dogwalking areas, whilst the vast area of the beach is empty.

If everybody adds it in on their responses to the forthcoming consultation we will pressure the council to add it as a proposal to put to a further consultation.

This is how the Public Consultation works we will be given a minimum of 28 days to respond to the consultation. The council should then consider all the submissions they receive and then depending on the views expressed consider amending the proposals, at which stage they would have to once again put those amended proposals to a further consultation, thereafter considering the responses to that.

REMEMBER if you do not send in your views within the 28 days they will not have to consider your opinions.

THE CURRENT ISLE OF WIGHT DOG BEACH BAN MAPS CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE

Its very interesting that the New Forest council do not have any restrictions on their beaches other than an area which is maintained by Hampshire CC.

This from their website:

"At present, dogs are allowed on all beaches within the New Forest. Theonly exception is a seasonal ban at the beach at Lepe Country Park,which is maintained by Hampshire County Council."

Now the New Forest also just happen to have a strong following on their own pro dog website: http://www.newforestdog.org.uk/

Yet all we are asking for is to be allowed on OUR beaches in the early morning  when it will not inconvenience anyone.

The restrictions are put in place because all dog owners are tarred with the same brush. If every owner took responsibility for cleaning up after their pets there would be no restrictions. Policing this is too expensive and so everyone will suffer as usual for the actions of the minority.

To get the best out of the loyalty and love that a dog gives to it's owner it has to be trained. Apart from the usual sit, stay lie down etc, the time should be taken to teach them to relieve theirselves only on the owners property. My Father had a couple of pedigree shelties, they had set times for exercise and new that they would be going no where unless they used the back yard as their toilet, this resulted in them never fouling the street. When out for exercise they were never put on a lead and never strayed from his side unless allowed to, If my Father stopped to chat or popped into a shop they would automatically sit or lie down and wait for the off. Having any sort of pet is not a hobby it's an investment. Teaching a dog to fit into your life style is a must or you will end up changing to suit your pet. And if the dog is in control then you are not a responsible owner.

Wight Portal said:

"Policing this is too expensive and so everyone will suffer as usual for the actions of the minority"

But DEFRA guidance states that the Dog Control Orders have to be enforceable and that has to be considered before making them.

"Authorities should also consider how

easy a Dog Control Order would be to

enforce, since failure properly to enforce

could undermine the effect of an order."

Agree with you wholeheartedly that in an ideal world everybody should take full responsibility for their dogs through training but in reality even if you did achieve such dizzying heights you would still suffer due to the anti-dog lobby.

Like all government run agencies they make rules for the whole country and don't take into consideration local issues. The Island is on it's ass financially, for example, my brother's girlfriend is a traffic warden (I know boo, hiss!! But someone has to), she has been issued with a secondhand uniform, with waterproofs that are nolonger so, because the last £100 in the budget went on sun glasses for the dog wardens.

The Island dog population has grown considerably since the '70's. My Grandmother lived in the Linden road area of Newport. The people of that area would literally open their front doors and let their dogs free to roam the streets just as is done with cats. But I don't remember wading in dog mess like now.

It's definately got to be enforced but unless central government cough up extra money one of two things will happen.

Either it won't happen or there will be a cut back in other services.

To think of all the effort the IW council went to in their attempt to ban us from Ryde Sands in order that they would be able to apply for a Blue Flag Award yet now they have got rid of the lifeguards and without lifeguards you cant apply for the award. No wonder they are in such dire financial difficulties given the way they waste money, the consultation process to kick us off the beach must have cost a fortune and it was pointless anyway without lifeguards.

How long would they last in the real business world?

I am a responsible dog owner. I clean up after my dog - and if I see dog mess I clear that too.

Nappies, bottles, BBQs I draw a line at. (Not strictly true as I always clear broken glass as  would hate it if a dog hurt its paws). How about fining these litterers rather than dog owners who are easy  targets?