Should dogs be allowed on the beach? Oriental Bay residents want poo patrol

The question of whether dogs should be allowed on Wellington's most central beach in the summer months is hotly debated. Photo / Dean Purcell

Some dog owners want more space for their pooches to “run wild” and feel they are being unfairly blamed for coastal erosion, while other residents worry a central beach could become dominated by pooches who “defecate wherever the urge strikes”.

The Wellington City Council is consulting on whether to allow dogs off the leash on Oriental Bay beach in off-peak hours during summer. Currently, they are not allowed there at all during this time.

The council has published some of the submissions on the proposal ahead of oral hearings this week

One submitter was worried about the disruption to people, especially children, who are not comfortable with dogs.

“Despite what people think, we don’t all love dogs. I would much rather have a city (and beaches) dominated by native birds - including those that nest and feed on the beach - rather than a city dominated by dogs.”

The council is also proposing to fine people who don’t carry the means to clean up after their dogs.

One resident said the council needed more patrols to enforce regulations.

“Off-leash dogs defecate wherever the urge strikes, and the owners “conveniently” don’t see it, so making them carry bags is pointless.”

The council is also looking at expanding off-leash provision across nine suburbs in Wellington.

One dog owner supported any initiative that encouraged off-leash walking.

“We have abundant space and as a person with a small backyard, knowing I have the space in the city to let her run wild is really important.”

Another resident said they had a dog with high anxiety who did not like interacting with other dogs.

They suggested separate off-leash areas for dogs with various anxiety levels that only allowed one dog at a time.

Capital BMX Club wanted the dog exercise area at Ian Galloway park to be moved after four instances of dogs venturing on to the track during a race, putting riders travelling at 40km/h at risk.

“The last person that crashed at that pace broke several ribs, a collar bone, and a punctured lung.”

Meanwhile, Island Bay dog owners felt their dogs were being “unfairly blamed for erosion of dunes that is created by higher tides, rough weather, and global warming”.

The council will make a decision on the proposals early next year.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.