Durban -
An angry jogger has threatened to lay criminal charges against dog owners after being chased one time too many by dogs without leashes on uMhlanga Beach.
Vimal Singh, who vented his fury in a letter published by the Daily News on Friday, said he often ran on uMhlanga Beach, and was sick and tired of owners who flouted the by-laws by failing to keep their dogs on leashes.
Singh said he had been chased by a number dogs and almost attacked by some while running, and was fed up with the attitude of the owners when he asked them to keep their dogs on leashes.
“One gets comments like ‘oh, he’s just playful’; ‘don’t worry about him - he won’t bite you’,” his letter read.
Singh wished dog owners would abide by the laws and said as a result of a recent incident, he would lay a charge at the local police station.
He felt it was his right, by law, to protect himself.
The Daily News visited uMhlanga on Sunday afternoon and found that dog walkers were abiding by the rules.
Dog owners Carol and Chris Brown of Glen Anil sympathised with Singh, and said there were only a few beaches in eThekwini that allowed dogs, but irresponsible owners were jeopardising things for all.
“I would hate for the dogs to be kicked off the beach because of owners who don’t obey the rules. We do see this now and again and the owners say, ‘Don’t worry, they (the dogs) are fine’,” said Chris Brown.
The couple, who own three dogs, visit the beach when they can and said they kept their dogs on leashes, even when they were taken into the water for a swim.
Signs along the beach make it clear where dogs are and are not allowed. Where they are allowed, the dogs are to be on leashes.
Local lifeguards said dog walkers were often seen early in the morning or in late afternoon, and mostly during the week, but said they seldom came across owners who failed to keep their dogs on leashes.
uMhlanga Beach regular Tammara Butterfield, of Durban North, takes her four beloved pets to the beach three to four times a week.
“I don’t believe in dogs not being on leashes when out at the beach on walks,” she said.
On occasion, she, too, has seen dogs being walked without leashes.
Well known local Ray de Vries agreed that by-laws were there to be observed, especially as a courtesy to other people, and found from his daily morning walks that people were complying.
“There’s a nice, positive attitude,” he said.
Local councillor Heinz de Boer said dogs without leashes were a persistent problem in the area.
“Some people seem to follow the rules, and some don’t.”
He said if inconsiderate owners persisted in taking their dogs on to the beach without leashes, the authorities could ban all dogs on beaches.
He had heard of cases where big dogs without leashes had attacked smaller dogs and suggested the bigger and quieter beaches on the North Coast might be an option for owners to give their pets room to run about.
Daily News