Bournemouth considers banning dogs from its beaches
Bournemouth is one of the top holiday destinations in the UK with seven miles of beaches. However those beaches may not be welcoming for dog owners before long as the town is considering banning dogs from its beaches.
Currently the town’s residents are being canvassed over proposals to ban dogs permanently from beaches, as there is currently a ban on dogs on certain parts of beaches between the summer months.
There are three proposals being considered. One is to leave the seasonal ban as it is, one is to extend the seasonal ban to other areas in the town and one is to ban dogs altogether from the town’s beaches.
Beverley Dunlop, the cabinet minister for tourism, stated:
We are very proud of our beaches which are there for everyone to enjoy, and the majority of dog owners respect the dog bylaws when exercising their dogs at the seafront.
However, unfortunately, there still remains a significant minority who ignore the health and safety of others by allowing their dogs to cause a nuisance, and who fail to pick up their dog faeces.
This is not about banning dogs on the whole of Bournemouth beach but is simply looking to refine the existing dog restrictions through public consultation.
If changes are made they won’t be enforced until May 2009.
