Dogs on Bay

In reply to Dorothy Bain’s letter to the editor (December 13), she is quite right.

The penguins have no friends on land, only humans who understand their plight into their future.

The simple fact is they need human help. The council requires all thoughts towards a decision and your thoughts that Peter Bennett is looking at banning dogs completely will be one of their many ideas.

Timaru Penguins submitted to the existing winter bylaw (not banning) asking for an extra couple of months (August and September ) knowing we have a couple of early breeders and were hoping for their protection from winter dog walkers.

Hence my reason for placing handwritten signs informing dog owners to keep away from the early nesters.

Incidentally, dog prints still appeared in the roped area even with my signage. While the prenguins are returning every year and feel safe, the exposure of dogs on the bay during their breeding season (summer) is a foreseen threat to their future existence at the bay.

Once confrontations or killings take place, the colony, under stress, will look for another safe habitat and the privilege of having little blue penguins at Caroline Bay will be history.

You are also right that the decision is in the hands of the councillors and any final decisions are based on a balanced argument.

Councillor Parker has assured me personally she means no harm to the penguins. The question I still push is wouldn’t it be great to still have little blue penguins at Caroline Bay in 20 to 50 years’ time for our grandchildren and their grandchildren, where we as the ‘‘conservation generation’’ made sure the opportunity to have a safe breeding beach was made available to them. Peter Bennett Timaru Penguins, dog owner beach over the summer period. Rosa Allison Timaru