Reconsider Revisions to Beach Ordinance

To the Editor:
I have been a homeowner, taxpayer, voter and proud resident of Lower Township for the past 15 years. I have been the proud owner, caretaker and surrogate parent of a dog for nine of those 15 years. We consider our dog a valuable part of our family. As with all members of my family, I make sure she is well-cared for, well-fed, groomed properly and that she adheres to township laws and ordinances. We make sure she is vaccinated, leashed and licensed accordingly. We also make sure we clean up after all her messes regardless of where they occur. Given these considerations, I must voice my sincere and vehement opposition to the recent revision of an ordinance which prohibits even leashed dogs on Lower Township beaches between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
It would appear, on its face that this revision, passed June 8 at a special meeting of council, with a 3-2 vote, serves only a portion of the residents. This revision caters to a select few residents who have submitted complaints to the township, according to meeting minutes, since 2007. While I have not viewed these complaints, I can only assume that they range from dog waste not being disposed of properly to dog bites. These complaints are valid. However, I must question if the severity of the limits placed on the responsible pet owners by this revision is fair, reasonable, or necessary. The benefit and main objective of limiting pet access to the beaches remains unclear, as does the method of enforcement. Leashed pets are permitted during a limited time period, which means more animals on the beach at the same time and could mean more confrontations between pets and pet owners. While this revision may make some beach goers more comfortable, it places pet-owning beachgoers at greater risk. Additionally, this measure does little more than punish responsible dog owners, some of whom are only able to use the beach between the prohibitive hours.
Perhaps other measures, such as more trash receptacles, pet waste stations and stricter enforcement of the current sanctions would have been a more appropriate response to complaints. As stated by one of the residents at the June 1 meeting, trash has always been a bigger safety concern on the beaches than dogs. I question how many citations have been given for trash violations. Similarly, I have seen a number of pets off-leash on the beach, but I haven’t seen a single uniformed officer.
As with all laws and ordinances, success comes with enforcement. Is there any evidence that the prior ordinance was enforced with any success? Are there statistics regarding how the number of citations issued for leash law violations correlates with the number of dog bites? Have the number of dog bites increased or decreased? Have the number of complaints increased or decreased? Is this simply a measure to appease a small group of residents and the Recreation Advisory Board (RAB), or does this revision have the support of the community at large? If this was the case, then why was the revision passed at a special session with limited input from the residents? How will this current revision be enforced? How much will new signage and extra beach patrols cost the residents in the long run? How will this revision benefit the residents and Lower Township as a whole?
I am proud that Lower Township has had the reputation of being pet friendly. One of the reasons my family chose to reside here was because of the easy access to the beaches without interference from political interests. I truly hope you will reconsider and repeal this revision in the interests of all residents of Lower Township and the welcoming community in which we live.