DOGS ROAMING FREE ON BEACH BECOMES ISSUE

I attended the Laytown/Bettystown area council meeting recently and one of the issues raised surrounded Bettystown beach.

There are plans to develop a beach management plan, to sort out access, parking and facilities.

One thing that they must now do is a nature study - caused by cars parking on the beach - but mainly dogs.

Unfortunately, some owners, be it on Bettystown or Laytown beach or Mornington, think it appropriate to allow their pet off the leash and run wild.

The idea sounds great, let the dog bound around the place for half an hour, where’s the harm.

But now experts say that roaming dogs are interfering with the feeding time for birds and that’s not acceptable in protected areas.

It’s still down the line - but on the way - is a total ban on dogs in the beach area around here.

That would be terrible for responsible dog owners who keep a tight grip on their pets, but the actions of others seem set to impact on them.

From now on, dog owners would be advised to keep their animals on a lead otherwise I can see that ban coming into force. You have been warned!

Also, and I didn’t forget, I met a man on Duke Street some months ago and he asked me to highlight the same problem with irresponsible owners on Seapoimt beach.

Dogs must be kept on a lead at all time for fear of impacting on feeding birds. Ultimately dogs will be banned altogether . So act now before it’s too late.