Groups want dogs Two community groups are trying to put some teeth into a law prohibiting dogs from running loose at Waialae Beach Park.
leashed at
Waialae Beach
Safety and sanitation concerns
at Waialae Beach Park lead to
calls for enforcementBy Pat Gee
pgee@starbulletin.comThe Kahala Community Association brought the problem to the attention of the Waialae-Kahala Neighborhood Board in October after getting complaints that dogs were jumping on and frightening small children, and that dog owners weren't cleaning up their animal's feces, according to Dr. Alex Roth, a longtime association board member.
A letter he received from a frequent mainland visitor said she saw a woman with six unleashed dogs on the beach (two German shepherds, one Rottweiler, and three other large dogs) in January. Another letter detailed an attack on a young child, who had to be taken to a physician for minor injuries, Roth said.
Richard Turbin, a neighborhood board member, said the board has formed a committee, the Coalition of Concerned Dog Guardians, to urge other dog owners to keep their animals leashed. The coalition will use letters and personal contact to get its message out, he said.
Although there are no animals allowed signs posted at the beach access, they are ignored, Roth said. In fact, dogs are allowed on the beach, but they must be leashed according to state law, he added.
The problem is there are different laws pertaining to different beaches, depending on whether they are run by the city or the state, so people aren't sure of what the rules are, he said.
The board was told that the police department did not have the manpower to monitor the beaches for unleashed dogs. But Turbin said the police and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said they would try to strengthen their inspections of the area.
Residents can call a hotline number, 587-0077, to report any unleashed dogs to the DLNR's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.
But residents who take their dogs to beaches also voiced their concerns that "dogs have rights, too -- you know, the whole 'dog'ma," Turbin said.
According to the board's minutes of its November meeting, dog owners said releasing their dogs to run on the beach meant less barking in the house; that dogs should be allowed to run loose on the beach, but stay close to their masters; that there be a time set aside for dogs to be loose; and that a bark park should be built in the area.
However, they agreed that laws should be enforced to punish irresponsible owners and formed the coalition.
Bobby Fernandez, branch chief of the enforcement division, said the punishment is a fine of "not more than $500 per day." Enforcement officers are not required to provide warnings, he said.