Call to unleash dogs on Muizenberg Beach

A petition seeks to change regulations requiring dogs to be leashed at all times on most parts of Muizenberg Beach.

Cara Dowling said she started the petition on change.org after she was fined R1000 at 7.42am on Wednesday April 24 for walking her dog off-leash near the Muizenberg Pavilion.

She said several other dog walkers were also fined on the same day. She said she would be contesting the fine in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday July 23.

The only section where dogs were allowed off-leash, she said, was near Sunrise Circle and the False Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

She said the area was well-known for muggings and was frequented by criminals hiding in the dunes.

“This law unintentionally pushes dog owners into an unsafe environment. We are not against people being fined for not controlling unruly dogs and for not picking up after their dogs,” she said.

She said dog owners were asking for their dogs to be allowed off-leash at Surfer’s Corner and east of the estuary before 9am and after 6pm in summer, from November to March, and preferably at all times during winter.

That, she said, was in line with regulations on Camps Bay Beach.

Many dog owners often collected litter while walking their dogs and also supported the dog-friendly restaurants and coffee shops on the beachfront, she said.

Amending the regulations, she said, would provide a safer environment for pet owners while still maintaining public order and cleanliness.

“Our valued Law Enforcement officers could be put to better use by enforcing these times, patrolling the dunes, and educating owners who do not pick up after their dogs, as well as those few who do not have sufficient control over their dogs,” she said.

Mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said sub-councils determined regulations for dog walking while the City posted signage and enforced the regulations, so residents should submit requests to review the regulations to their sub-council. And such a move, he added, would need to go out for public comment.

The petition is seeking 500 signatures, and by time of publication, it had 462.

Muizenberg police spokesman Captain Stephen Knapp said that in the past, there had been robberies at the river mouth, which is further down from the lifesaving club, but no recent incidents had been reported.