The topic of dogs on Cape Town beaches has been a hot one for many years now. Those who are for beaches being dog-friendly environments have been at loggerheads with those who believe that dogs have a negative impact on the city’s beaches.
Our city has a number of dog-friendly beaches, but a proposal from Community Services and Special Projects could soon be changing this. Residents are encouraged to participate in this discussion with the city so a solution can be achieved.
In the past there have been a handful of unfortunate incidents involving dogs and Cape beaches, and it is a pity that these isolated attacks have thrown shade on the topic of dogs and beaches. I, for one, am all for letting (well-behaved) dogs roam free on our beaches, but a middle ground needs to be reached to take everybody into consideration.
As reported by Traveller24, these are the proposed changes:
Kommetjie – proposed change at Long Beach, Kommetjie from free-running to no dogs
Soetwater – status quo, no dogs allowed
Witsand – status quo, dogs free-running
Misty Cliffs – minor change, no dogs allowed except on a leash before 9 am and after 6 pm
Millers Point – status quo, no dogs allowed
Fisherman’s Beach – proposed change to no dogs
Frank’s Beach – proposed change to no dogs
Windmill Beach – proposed change from free-running to dogs on a leash
Burghers’ Walk – status quo, dogs on a leash
Water’s Edge Beach – proposed no dogs allowed
Seaforth Beach – proposed no dogs allowed
Long Beach, Simon’s Town – status quo, dogs free-running
Mackerel Beach – status quo, dogs free-running
Shelley’s Beach and tidal pool – status quo, no dogs allowed
Glencairn Beach and tidal pool – proposed change to no dogs allowed
Fish Hoek Beach – status quo of no dogs in the corner on the Jaggers Walk end of the beach, proposed dogs on a leash from the lighthouse to the start of Clovelly Beach
Clovelly Beach – proposed change from a free-running area for dogs to time restrictions for free-running dogs (dogs on leash between 9 am and 6 pm)
Wooly’s Pool – status quo, no dogs allowed
Kalk Bay Tidal Pools – status quo, no dogs allowed
Dalebrook Beach and tidal pool – proposed no dogs allowed
Danger Beach – proposed change from free-running area for dogs to dogs on a leash
St James Beach and tidal pool – status quo, no dogs allowed
Muizenberg Beach including Surfer’s Corner – status quo, dogs on a leash December to March before 9 am and after 6 pm. Dogs on a leash April – November
Sunrise Beach – status quo, dogs allowed
Sonwabe Beach – proposed dogs on a leash at all times
Strandfontein Beach – status quo, no dogs allowed
Nine Miles Beach – proposed dogs on a leash with horses at all times
Blue Waters Resort – status quo, no dogs allowed
Beyond Blue Waters Resort – Dogs free-running at all times
If you have any constructive input for the city about this matter, today is the D-Day for having your say. Emails can be sent to Helen Jordaan, Professional Officer: Beach Amenities Coordination Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department City of Cape Town ([email protected]).
Photography HSMimages/Juliette Bisset and Traveller24
This is speciesism! Poor pups 🙁
Michaela Wilson
Its such a joy to take your dog to the beach.
Just having moved to CT, I found it nice that dogs seem to be very a part of the community here. Human litter in the beautiful natural places is a far bigger issue in my opinion.
Clamp down on human litter and sewarage wasting into the sea instead! Keep beaches family friendly (dogs are an important part of families’ lives and man’s best friend).
These two dogs just grabbed the boogie board from my son’s hand and did this. The owners were at least about a 100m away watching it and carry on doing nothing about it. A small incident but nevertheless unacceptable. April 2014
dalk moes die boogie board nie rond gele het nie!!!
hou op worry oor honde op die strand en worry oor die rowers wat mense aanval en beroof op die strand!!!! net soos ons honde julle irriteer, irriteer julle skreeuende kinders ons. dis ons almal se voorreg om ons strande te geniet.
If they spent half the energy and funds on fighting CRIME on the beaches, we could actually all enjoy going there
Cape Town has so many problems and they pick this one ???
So you must walk around the beaches in Cape Town with your cooler box, umbrella and boogie board strapped to your back Taylor Launspach Michelle?
Unbelievable….. clamp down on dogs… but keep on pumping tons of sewerage into the ocean which gives the public infections!( with reference to your article yesterday of the white spil visible in Table Bay)
Good going. Needs to be done
I am a dog lover and an avid supporter of dog friendly beaches. However every time I am on a beach I observe the very irresponsible way South African beach users deal with their dog’s waste. Some simply ignore it while other think that putting a bit of sand over it is acceptable. I’m sorry but carrying a little poo-baggy with you will NOT KILL YOU. Kids also use those beaches and quite frankly stepping in one of those doggy landmines are thoroughly unpleasant. Come on dog owners do the responsible thing. And if your dog is not well sosialised please keep it on a leash. End of rant U0001f436U0001f436U0001f436U0001f64aU0001f64aU0001f64a….
Dog lovers are going to be very disappointed. Focus on CRIME AND POVERTY
Never mind the mounds of trash, human poo and diseased ocean water. This city has a habit of focusing on fixing what ain’t broke, and ignoring the real issues. What a waste of time and resources.
Poor dogs must suffer for the thoughtlessness of their owners. And in the meantime the City of Cape Town is continuously pumping millions of litres of sewage (hope I got that right this time?) into the ocean!
Im not a dog lover but im all for dogs on a leash at the beach. The beach is a public place. if ur a dog lover do not force that on others.
Blame it on the boogie.
Let’s throw poo at Just Nuisances statue.
ELaine that is not acceptable. I cannot imagine not allowing my dogs to run on the beach free, no way I can run at their speed, and I am not sure why people don’t get that dogs on leads are generally much more problem than off leads, BUT I have never seen anything like that and those dogs owners are responsible for replacing your board and keeping their dogs off the beach or under control. As with everything in life, there will always be some idiots but majority of dogs off leads do not do stuff like that. Those owners must take responsibility and not ruin it for the rest of us! Of all the dogs we have had I have only had 1 that I didn’t entirely trust so she used to stay on a lead because she did not come when called and had a scary bark. She never actually hurt anyone but she did scare them so we stopped allowing her to run free. People need to be responsible not blanket bans on dogs.
Of course the liberals have their comment .The irresponsible people that do not take care of their dogs faeces at the beaches and do not adhere to the signs stipulating a leash are directly responsible for this ……go pick on them .They are always the ones saying ” go fight crime ” ….Start here , take responsibility and we can all move on !
So the dogs must be penalized, rather concentrate on the true perpetrators…… HUMANS……
First they want to stop modifications on cars now stop dogs on beaches? Wtf is wrong with the government?
I walk TEARS dogs on a voluntary basis, this can only be done from 10 am until beach walks are over. Exercise on the beach is excellent therapy for the abused dogs. Time restrictions is a HUGE problem. This is sometimes the only pleasure they have until adopted. The joy in their steps is sooo rewarding. DON’T take that little bit of joy away from themwhy do HUMANS feel their rights must always be considered – humans leave so much waste – plastic, broken bottles, POOH disposable nappies, etc on beaches without any restrictions to themPeople should be encouraged to pick up their dog poohs (humans pick up theirs) and keep beaches clean. It should start at school level so that children can tell those parents who are ignorant to clean up.
It is wonderful to see dogs and humans interacting on beaches. Make awareness that if your dog is sensitive to other dogs, use a yellow colour fabric to indicate as such. ALL beaches should be available to dogs and owners at ALL times of the day
Sorry for the responsible dog owners. Just look at the mess on the Sea,Point ,Beachfront
100%
I’m not seeing anything about Blouberg and sooo happy as we always take our doggies there for their run, as it is a lovely stretch – why not make blouberg exclusive for dogs and surfers only. Never had any problems at Blouberg and yes the people that side pick up their doggy poo as well. I only had one incident last week at Kommetjie side where a guy’s dog off the leash came running to my dog on leash to attack and he was soooo rude when i told him to keep your dog on a leash and he said that’s why mine is on a leash maybe i dont trust mine, however my dog i keep on a leash to protect him and pull him towards me where i can protect him from incidents like that…arrogant rude person. ….Also the same guy who never picked up his dogs poooh sis…All for leashes and love my husky kids! please dont take the beaches away from our Animals please…
I totally agree with Lizette. It is the irresponsible dog owners who are now causing these restructions! We know that dogs need to run freely at times but owners who leave their poo for others to walk in assuming the sea will wash it away is not acceptable. Nor should badly behaved dogs be allowed to upset other dogs and owners. People train your dogs properly and act responsibly then you and your dogs will deserve more freedom!
Hang on one second…if the rules and laws which are and always have been in place, were followed, none of this would have been a problem right? Dogs off leash are ALWAYS coming after ours (on leash) and just makes for a terrible experience.
owners should take responsiblity and at least replace board – hope this happened
Great even less place to run and walk dogs except in the roads where people drive like lunatics. Any chance we can have child free beaches…for those of us who to have dogs instead of kids?
Are they going to do anything about guaranteeing the safety of beach walkers ? Why can’t the beaaches be shared seasonal or times be implemented and the less popular beaches be dog friendly – Misty Cliffs, Strandfontein Noordhoek, Glencairn etc
Where the efffff must we take our dogs? They should rather clamp down on unroaworthy taxis, violence, rape, murder, robberies, jacob zuma etc….
here is another job op then for the unemployed…beach pooper scoopers employed by thr CCC
I don’t have a problem with dogs on the beach in fact its awesome to see them enjoy themselves. But yes keep them close and Heather the board wasn’t replaced neither did they apologies.
Derika if I put one of my dogs on a lead and the other is off, they have a go at each other. That’s often a problem, dogs can’t understand why another dog is tied up. We have had our dogs and other dogs barking and performing while we (Us and the other dog owners with their dogs on leash) walk to the beach and when we get there all the dogs run together happily, so why did they try to get at each other when both on leads? If I see other dogs on leads I tend to call my dogs which generally they do listen and come away so we don’t walk close to other dogs on leads as I know dogs don’t get on well when on leads, and if I see it too late mostly my dogs just sniff them and wander off unless the dog on the leash gets aggressive then they might bark back. In all the years I have walked on fish hoek beach I have hardly ever seen a problem between dogs running free, the owners on the other hand…..my dogs have been hit with sticks, towels, shouted at, and for no reason other than going to sniff another pooch (usually a small one). Stupid thing is the small ones are usually the more aggressive, noisy and one snap from a little daschund has seen my bigger dogs running away tail between its legs.
Why??????
dog lovers should then use a leash..then it all good..and in parks, where kids play…then everyone is happy
Wie is die grootste rommelstrooiers op strande…die MENS !!!!! Fokus op diè ellendelinge…!!!!
This is such bull. I take my dog to the one beach nearby (20m drive away when there’s no traffic) and she loves it. Clovelly is known and recognised as a dog friendly beach by all the locals. And now they want to change it from that to “a place to walk your dog” because what else can you do with a lead on?
You can’t let them frolic in the water. You certainly can’t play fetch. WTF is the point of that. I thought the city was trying to be more inclusionist especially after letting cyclists and skateboarders have more areas.
But it seems now that that was just the publicity stunt and this is going to be quietly instituted. What’s next? Banning dogs from all dog friendly parks? No more dogs on leads within city limits? Looks like I’m going to have to remove all the Cape Town locations from http://www.ihaveadog.co.za
This REALLY sucks.
Pathetic.
Its about time !!!
That will be sad
How many empty bottles and other rubbish you came across in between the poo -why not band people as well?
How about spending some of the effort to manage crime on the beaches rather?
Before 9am and after 6pm, its dark during winter, not a practical solution. Rather give a portion of the larger beaches a dog friendly zone. On the crowded beaches leashes on less crowded beaches free running. Heavy penalties for dog of leash owner should something happen as it is the owner that makes the choice as to what setting their dog fits into.
I am afraid South Africa’s government all over just doesn’ care for animals 🙁
A few random incidents and the council has a knee jerk reaction. Everyday criminals run freely creating havoc – do something about that instead finding soft targets to fill their coffers.
HannesEngelbrecht The time limits are for Summer months, not applicable in Winter.
ColinAttwell Thanks, that would make a lot more sense, couldn’t read the writing on the images on my phone. I think what they plan for Fish hoek will be great for the bigger, less crowded beaches.
Arent there more important things to attend to?
I wish we had police on the beach at Noordehoek to catch the illigal dogs that run free, the ones that threaten/assault and rob innocent walkers.
Theres nothing more beautiful than seeing a pooch run free on the beach, jumping at waves, splashing in the shallows, tail wagging madly, yelping happily with its mouth in a wide grin & tongue hanging out! Such freedom should never be restrained
Tell the City clamp down Drug Lord’s .who they taking bribes from
Our Youth get destroyed by drugs and gangsterism city to F all to Drug Lords/Dens
.I’m a dog lover myself
K
Wow, humans are incredibly selfish, narcissistic and self righteous. You do realise that this planet belongs to ALL living beings right? We have already overpopulated the planet beyond natural resources, we tear down rain forests, bulldoze fields, destroy habitat, and cause the extinction of animals at a frightening pace. Animals are used and abused, tortured and killed, all in the name of almighty humanity. You want to ban dogs from beaches, well I’m offended by your child peeing on the beach, or the litter you leave behind, that disgusts me. My dogs are my family and I will take my family to the beach. Time for humans to unclench and evolve a little.
No likes from me!
Thea I agree. People suck too but to be fair not all of it is dumped a lot comes from elsewhere. I don’t think banning either people or dogs is a constructive solution. I think there is space for us all. As a dog owner and extreme animal lover I think we have a responsibility towards everyone (dogs, people and the environment) to be responsible. I don’t want to see anyone banned U0001f633
Ai, some irresponsible dog owners spoil it for others!
Dogs should be on a lease in public places as I am sick of hearing he won’t bite plus disturbing my space. So dog lovers be more considerate to others and I have seen where some dog owners have no control over their pets.
I love how the comments are split into 2 groups. Those who have and love their dogs and are responsible owners who pick up after their dogs. They’re the ones, like me, who are horrified at the idea of no longer been able to take my dog to the beach for a good run and a swim. And then those who don’t have dogs, and who don’t really like dogs, who either don’t want dogs on the beach at all. Or if they are allowed on the beach, they need to be on a leash. Dogs need to run and play. You don’t see those of us who don’t have kids, suggesting that we have kid free beaches! If a beach is dog friendly and you don’t like dogs, don’t go to that beach! It’s that simple!
Haha, we have six daxies, and prefer to let them run free – I only ever pick them up if I see a dog coming with serious aggressive intentions, which has only ever happened once. What we have often found is that dogs that are on leads, where it is not a requirement, are invariably the ones with behavioral or aggression problems (often the owners fault – the dogs are not properly socialised). Dogs behaviour also often changes on a lead, because they are forced to be close to their owner, they can become terratorial and over protective. Most dogs sort their own politics out without interference from owners. I have a major problem with people that allow their known aggressive fogs to run free.
Who’s the animal hater tha decided on this?
Criminals must be delighted .
Just have a law where dog owners must keep their hounds on a leash and employ people who heavily fine those who break this law. The word will soon get around. Problem solved, at least partially
So nobody’s complaining about bird poo or the raw sewage that is washed from parked ships to shore lol maybe you should look where you walk nothing wrong with a little fertilizer.
This could be history soon. Where are the rights of dog owners? Where to next?
Another law that cannot be applied. Why not focus on the real problems rather than take up all this time and taxpayers money quibbling on whether a dog can walk on a beach or not when the authorities are unable to apply any of the more dangerous laws they make that are broken like corruption and so forth. Similar to the crayfish issue when half the police force polices a few boats for a few crayfish while bicycles get stolen and people get raped. Now they have another law to divert the much needed law enforcement from their real job. I will be walking my dog without a lead as I have always done just as corrupt officials steal just as they have always done. I will only respect a law when I respect the people who make it and I am afraid they are unable to impress me at this stage and I pay for them. Do something significant and then I may heed and consider this mad obsession some idiot has about dogs.
Who doesn’t like dogs on beaches. Childhood ruined
clamp down on owners without poopscoops- fat fines needed to be enforced – love dogs but not the pooh.
Yeah right, let’s ban all dogs because they might just shot where you may walk. What about the human pigs who break glass bottles and leave them lying around, or leave plastic bags all over the place? I’d much rather have a thousand dogs running around than a thousand arrogant punks who thinks that everything belongs to them
Love it! No words need to be added
How about banning most people from our beaches? Makes far more sense.
Here’s my response. A little disobedience will go a long way.
Theresa Massaglia
Rather spend your tive cleaning up houtbay harbour. Its an embarrassment.
Not cool not cool at all.
Yes! Thank you!
Clamp down on foreign ships dumping their trash in our waters.
This really makes me mad I have yet to walk on the beach and not fill up a shopping bag of litter left by humans and this happens 5 mornings a week this is our problem not dogs.
does this happen every day or just once? Have your children ever upset another child or taken their toy?
yea – love this. how often to children scream and schriek in shops and restaurants – they should be banned. it upsets me and i have nightmares about shopping because of this.
my dogs are not xenephobic either ! but they pee on statues – that’s got to be positive in todays “world” correct?
now that looks scary! and offensive:)
kids should be on a leash in parks – they approach me and i get offended – parents should stay closer to their kids
How ridiculous
I love walking my dig on the beach and I don’t agree with ckamping down on dog friendly beaches. Concentrate on more important issues
I know right!
Hi guys I’m im partial towards this topic but what I have noticed as I spend lots of time on our coast there are specific rules for every different beach as per the dog issue and I think the problem is that not all dog owners are all responsible towards these laws.take muizenburg from December to march dogs are allowed before 6 free and after 6pm but between those hours they have to be on a lease but does this happen no.I was on the beach last weekend and this morning and 90 percent of the dogs had not been on a lease so ask yourself who is to blame for stricter measures being taken maybe u guys should look at that side of the issue also
Not just beaches. the Brass Bell no longer allows dogs. Yesterday we went with our little doggie kids to Berthas in Simons Town and were told doggies no longer welcome. This was sitting outside , I mean right on the walkway but NO. Places to take our dogs too are rapidly diminishing. Very sad…
I’m not good with animals but i have an appreciation for them. when I visited Camps bay it was so nice to share the shore with families running and enjoying themselves with their pups…..come on biggest problem I saw was litter which most comes from street beggars who live on Victoria road and bunk on the beach.
South Africans are so dog unfriendly …..its actually disgusting !
Have a section of the beaches restricted as “Doggie Beaches” Educate people with signs to clean up their dog litter!