A Muizenberg man who was fined R1000 for walking his dog off-leash on the beach at night claims the enforcement of dog-walking regulations is inconsistent.

Timothy Renecke, who was fined along with another dog owner, questioned the fairness of the penalty, particularly given that the beach was deserted at the time, 8pm.

“It was fairly dark, not a clear summer's evening, and myself and another man were fined for having our dogs off-leash,” he said.

According to Mr Renecke, the City Law Enforcement officer claimed that the fine was issued in response to a complaint from surfers about dogs running on the beach.

“That was utter nonsense,” he said, adding that he had photos and videos showing dogs on the beach before 9am without enforcement officers in sight.

The rules were enforced selectively as he had seen an officer confront dog owners on a busy Saturday morning without issuing a fine, he said.

“I asked her why these people were not being fined, and she said she prefers to educate first before fining. So where was my warning?”

The issue of off-leash dogs on Muizenberg Beach has been a long-standing debate. In July last year, a petition started by resident Cara Dowling drew 1 820 signatures in support of allowing off-leash access.

The petition was handed over to sub-council in July.

Ms Dowling had been fined R1000 in April for walking her dog off-leash.

Ward councillor Simon Liell-Cock responded to the petition submitted last year, saying, “There are spaces for dogs, but the rules are there for the good of everyone. Policy is set with public participation beforehand and can be reviewed by the department, but a petition on its own will not change the policy.”

On Wednesday February 12, Ms Dowling met with ward councillor Izabel Sherry to discuss the issue.

“We met on Muizenberg Beach and discussed the rules for beaches like Glencairn and more notably Camps Bay and Llandudno - what some people might call ‘posh beaches’. These beaches have free-running access for dogs before 9am and after 6pm in summer and free-running at all other times,” she said.

“Councillor Sherry was very struck by the disparity between our laws and the others, and she said she would look into it further. She suggested there might be a need for a public participation process, but we’re still awaiting the outcome,” she added.

Councillor Sherry confirmed to the Echo that she planned to investigate, saying, "I will enquire about the process for changing the regulation to allow off-leash dogs before 9am, and what would be required to make that change. Once I have all the information, I will inform the residents.“

City Law Enforcement spokesman Wayne Dyason said enforcement was guided by the City’s coastal by-law.

“No dogs are allowed on the beach between 9am and 6pm from November to March. For the rest of the year, any dog visiting the beach must be on a leash at all times,” he said.

While officers had some discretion based on circumstances, Mr Dyason noted that complaints about non-compliant dog owners were common.

“For example, a person just stepping onto the beach with a leashed dog after the cut-off time is different from someone whose dog is running uncontrolled on the beach. Officers are expected to enforce the by-law accordingly,” he said.

The City had posted signboards with enforcement guidelines on beaches and provided more information about the rules online.

“The City has a responsibility to all beach users, including those who do not want to be disturbed by dogs or who have an inherent fear of them. Dogs can also have an ecological impact, as seen in areas like the Helderberg Marine Protected Area, where bird numbers have declined,” Mr Dyason said.

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