Walking the beach with a dog is one of the lucky things Floridians are able to do. But not all of our beaches are dog-friendly. Over the years, there have been more and more restrictions placed upon the public and what they have access to. Thanks to a group of dog owners in Long Boat Key, residents there may be about to experience a sea change.
There are 6600 residents on Long Boat Key, many of whom have dogs. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches
here.An advo- cacy group was formed a little more than a year ago, LBK9 Coalition, to improve the community environment for people who enjoy outdoor recreation with their
dogs.To the city com- missioners,the group’s members requested a designation of a fair and equitable recreation zone on the
beach.The group has taken a very considerate approach, with respect to the concerns of non-dog owners.“We are taxpayers and we are voters.We care about our community and are committed to enriching the qual- ity of community life here on Long Boat Key,” said Laurin Goldner, a founding member of the Coalition, and Long Boat Key resident since 1998. Under the direction of the city commission, LBK9 Coalition set up a feasibility committee, headed by Laurin and comprised of seven diverse members, one of whom is a volun- teer with Mote Marine Turtle
Watch.They have met six to seven times over the last year. Their main purpose is to compile enough research and information to make a presentation to the city commissioners,who have been cautiously open to the idea. The group has been in contact with Barbara Arnold, one
of the volunteers who spearheaded the successful dog beach in Brevard County. They are also working with Stephanie Somerset of Bay Families with Dogs, a non-profit advocacy group formed to improve their Bay County community of Panama City.“Stephanie has been a wealth of information, and a dream to work with,” said Laurin. Should dogs be allowed on the beach with all of the endan-
gered foliage and fauna? Humans have actually been more dis- ruptive to the environment than dogs.“I was told by someone at Fish and Wildlife, that ideally no one should be allowed on any beach. But, of course that is not realistic,” said Laurin. And what about human health concerns with dogs on the
beach? Conversations with the Sarasota County Health Department, the Manatee Health Department’s assistant epi- demiologist and the head veterinarian at Florida’s Department of Health, reveal that there have been no reported cases of dis- ease attributed to dog beaches. Rand scientist and California resident Dr. Sandy Geschwind is an environmental epidemiolo- gist who has studied the adverse health effects associated with
40 THE NEW BARKER
LeLu, an Australian Shepherd Mix with his fellow beach lover, Max Goldner a Wheaton Terrier.
environmental pollutants in the water. “While it is critically important to ensure that the dog beach is maintained, and the waste dealt with responsibly, it is not a significant source of pol- lution (to the water) or health risk,”Dr. Geschwind told Laurin. To experience the beach with their dogs, Long Boat Key
residents (and vactioners for that matter) have to travel to St. Petersburg’s Paw Playground at Fort DeSoto Beach, or to Paw Park on South Brohard Beach in Venice. David Damarest, who was the operations supervisor
for Sarasota’s Parks and
Recreation Department said of Paw Park in Venice,“It was the best venture I’ve ever been associated with in my 27 years in government.” Paul Tritaik, Refuge Manager for Ding Darling State Park
said of allowing dogs,“It’s been a very positive experience. Dog owners, for the most part, have been very
respectful.They pick up after their dogs, and have made sure their dogs are under control at all times.”
www.TheNewBarker.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124