Reminder About Dogs On Beaches
A spokesman for the Department of Parks within the Ministry of Public Works today [Feb.9] reminded members of the public that it is illegal to have an unleashed dog on any of the island’s beaches or parks.
The announcement came after pictures of off-leash dogs frolicking at Elbow Beach appeared in the local media this week.
A Government spokesman said: “Having an unleashed dog in any protected area is in contravention of Section 6 of the Bermuda National Parks Regulations 1998.”
The relevant section reads: “No person shall, being the owner of, or in control of, a dog—
(a) subject to paragraph (b), bring such dog unleashed on to any protected area; or
(b) bring such dog on to any public beach in a protected area during the period from the 1st April to the 31st October in any year; or
(c) subject to paragraph (b), bring such dog on to any protected area using a leash greater than three metres in length; or
(d) cause, permit or suffer such dog to annoy or disturb any person in any protected area.”
A “protected area” means any area of land or water or both land and water specified in the National Park regulations. The protected areas are listed below:
CLASS A—PROTECTED AREAS – NATURE RESERVES
The following areas are hereby declared Class A protected areas and shall be
managed to protect special or fragile natural features and provide limited public access.
- Daniel’s Island Nature Reserve, Sandys
- Evans Pond Nature Reserve, Southampton
- Godet’s Island Nature Reserve, Warwick
- Godet’s Rock Nature Reserve, Warwick
- Hungry Bay Nature Reserve, Paget
- Pembroke Marsh Nature Reserve, Pembroke
- Spittal Pond Nature Reserve(Government owned section), Smith’s
- Spittal Pond Nature Reserve, Smith’s
- Winterhaven Nature Reserve, Smith’s
- Summerhaven Nature Reserve, Smith’s
- Shelly Bay Nature Reserve, Hamilton Parish
- Lovers Lane Nature Reserve, St. George’s
- Castle Harbour
- Islands Nature Reserve, St. George’s (All Islets)
- Walsingham Marine Reserve, Hamilton and St. George’s Parish
CLASS B—PROTECTED AREAS – PARKS
The following areas are hereby declared Class B protected areas and shall be managed in a manner to encourage conservation and enjoyment of the natural, historic and educational features of these areas with a minimum of commercial activity.
- Mangrove Bay Park, Sandy’s
- Daniel’s Head Beach Park, Sandy’s
- Daniel’s Head Park [entrance to Bascombes Farm on Waterfront), Sandys]
- Somerset Long Bay Park, Sandys
- Virginia Park, Sandys
- Scaur Hill Fort Park, Sandys
- Hog Bay Park, Sandys
- West Whale Bay Park, Southampton
- Barnes Corner Park, Southampton
- Church Bay Park, Southampton
- Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Park, Southampton
- Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Additional Park Land, Southampton
- South Shore Park, Southampton and Warwick
- Astwood Park, Warwick
- Burt Island Park, Warwick
- Nelly Island Park, Warwick
- Warwick Ridge Park, Warwick
- Elbow Beach Park, Paget
- Gilbert Park, Paget
- Crow Lane Park, Paget
- Botanical Gardens, Paget
- Spanish Point Park (including Cobbler Island Beek Rock), Pembroke
- Admiralty House Park, Pembroke
- Tulo Valley Nursery, Pembroke
- Mill Creek Park, Pembroke
- The Arboretum, Devonshire
- Happy Valley Park, Devonshire
- Avocado Lodge Park, Devonshire and Pembroke Parishes
- Friendship Vale Park, Devonshire
- Orange Valley Park, Devonshire
- Garthowen Park, Devonshire
- Devonshire Bay Park, Devonshire
- Devon Springs Park, Devonshire
- Robinson Bay Park, Devonshire
- Palmetto Park, Devonshire
- Penhurst Park, Smith’s
- Watch Hill Park, Smith’s
- John Smith’s Bay Park, Smith’s
- John Smith’s Bay Park, Smith’s
- Shelly Bay Beach Park, Hamilton Parish
- Burchall Cove Park, Hamilton Parish
- Crawl Waterfront Park, Hamilton Parish
- Abbot’s Cliff Park, Hamilton Parish
- Wilkinson Memorial Park, Hamilton Parish
- Ducks Puddle Park, Hamilton Parish
- Ducks Puddle Park – Annex, Hamilton Parish
- Blue Hole Hill Park, Hamilton Parish
- Coney Island Park, St. George’s
- Ferry Point Park, St. George’s
- Kindley Park [Long Bird Bridge - Stokes Harbour], St. George’s
- Rocky Hill Park, St. George’s
- Mullett Bay Park, St. George’s
- Tobacco Bay Park (Government Owned Portion), St. George’s
- Achilles Bay Park, St. George’s
- Gates Fort Park, St. George’s
- Alexandra Battery Park, St. George’s
- Higgs Island Park, St. George’s
- Horseshoe Island Park, St. George’s
- Hen Island Park, St. George’s
- Peggy’s Island Park, St. George’s
- Paget Island Park, St. George’s
- Smiths Island Park, St. George’s
- Governors Island Park, St. George’s
- Breman Island Park [off Vaughans Bay], St. George’s
- Little Head Park [Vaughans Bay - Red Hole], St. George’s
- Great Head Park, St. George’s
- Great Head Park, St. George’s
- St. Davids Lighthouse Park, St. George’s
- Great Bay Park, St. George’s
- Railway Trail – All Parishes
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Category: All, Environment
Remember Elbow Beach public beach is only the width of the roadway
If that’s true, then the bits adjacent are private lands, and if that is the case, I’d check on what their dog policy is. I’ve got a kid scared to death of dogs because of someone’s overly-enthusiastic off-leash labradoodle, and I almost ran over some gormless idiot’s family pet when he dashed out onto the road. Incidentally, the gormless idiots were there, with the dog’s leash hanging from his shoulders, and had we not braked and swerved, there would have been two tearful owners and a dead dog. Thank God there was no car coming in the other direction, otherwise we couldn’t have taken the evasive action we did. This was on a stretch of public park land adjacent to a road…
Leashes aren’t a ‘punishment’ for your dog, they’re there for not only the safety of others but for your dog as well. I’m a dog lover too, but when the quality of experience in a public park is diminished because some people value dogs’ ability to run off-leash more than the safety and well-being of the humans in a community, it’s time to re-think policy and reinforce what already exists. If you own a dog that ‘needs’ that level of exercise, then you need to have that size of property for the dog, or restrict it only to places where dogs are allowed off-leash. I can’t say it enough- too many people buy dogs that appeal to their sense of style or vanity rather than basing their selection on what kind of dog suits their lifestyle and home!!! Bravo, Parks, for the reminder.
How about a dog park? There isnt anywhere you can take your dog for a game of fetch. Many dogs are well trained and stay with the owner on or off a leash.
And many are not.
I would support the idea of a dog park, but not on public lands. Sorry, but there are so few quality spaces left for the humans on this island that until those are top-notch, and currently they’re not, then I for one couldn’t fathom spending public funds on a dog park.
My child got really frightened by a ‘friendly’ dog, who ran at him and licked his face, wouldn’t leave him alone- and the owners who caught up a couple minutes later responded with, ‘He’s just kissing you, see, he’s friendly!’ My eye- that’s not at all what it seemed like to my two-year-old. They called and called their dog, who didn’t let up, and didn’t pay them the least mind, and I had to scoop up my kid, the dog wouldn’t leave us alone…sorry, we have had dogs for years, and that was totally unacceptable. I think you would have to have proof of training before you opened such a park. Can you imagine the melee if a bunch of dogs got into a fray with one another?? I just think here, with the general lack of personal responsibility that runs rampant, a dog park is just asking for heartache and lawsuits. Good luck with that…
Aaaand…I’ll say it again. People buy dogs that they can’t reasonably keep on their own property, which SHOULD be seen as animal abuse, hence the perceived need by some morons to allow them ‘off-leash’ time in public spaces. My friend’s corgis play fetch just fine in her small yard and her cozy little home. She always walks them, and they’re quite happy little things. They go with her everywhere, but NEVER off the lead except on their property. No reason to deprive a dog of a fun time IF you have chosen your breed wisely!!! On the other hand, a dog can get all the exercise it needs ON a leash!! It’s fun for you and your dog to have off-leash time, but it really isn’t usually fun for the other users of the park. Good luck with the dog park, but it will not be without massive public protest at least from me if it’s done with Government funds on Government property in these most difficult economic times.
An idea: Someone with lots of land that loves dogs could get together with people that want a dog park and raise money to build a fence on their private property for a dog park. Seems simple really, just have to find an animal lover with a decent amount of land.
Now you’re talking. Heck, I’d even make a donation to that sort of thing- it would be a modest one, but something’s better than nothing. Surely there must be someone out there willing to do this. Just not with our tax dollars, please. Not now, at least. Great suggestion, Two Cents!