In response to the recent letters regarding dogs in Malibu, as beach resident for the past 20 years on west Malibu Road, I can report that the beach is overrun with dogs. The feces they leave, after chasing away birds and seals disturbing the peace and quiet, with loud persistent barking while endangering children and others, is testament to the irresponsibility and disrespect shown by their law breaking owners. The beach is not a toilet for canines despite the ignorant dog lovers’ desire that it should be their dogs’ outhouse.
The dogs are let loose in the morning to roam and dump and pee on tide-clean sand and to invade neighbors’ yards trampling through gardens. They trot down the beach and wander from their lease-carrying (not using them) owners, and when they approach other dogs, they either engage in terrifying territorial clashes or promiscuous sniffing and humping in public, while their human companions scream for dear life or just scream their names hoping for heeling obedience. They gallop barking at seagulls, sandpipers, terns, pelicans, plovers, seals, surfers and anything else that moves, acting as if they were indigenous and all the other elegant creatures that inhabit the shoreline are invaders that need to be cleared out or killed. They run in packs when a few “neighbors” walk at the same time. They leave piles of poop you cannot avoid stepping in walking barefooted.
I’ve seen children playing in the sand with poop and pee in it. They get knocked over and terrorized by galloping dogs. I’ve often laid on my back while stretching at the tide line before surfing, watching the sky and taking in fresh nourishment of the sight, sound and smell of waves in quiet contemplation just to have some barking, saliva spewing, hair shedding, wet-nosed dog poke its snout in my face then kick sand in my eyes as I shoo it away while its owners walk by with a stupid grin on their face saying, “Isn’t Fido cute.”
The bottom line is that the dog owners who use the beach for their dogs’ potty and pleasure disrespect others, disrespect the natural habitat, disrespect the peace and quiet and disrespect the law. They call anyone who objects “uptight” or “intolerant” trying to point blame instead of realizing they care more about their pets than kids or people or even delightful birds and animals that have lived along the shore forever and are such an integral part of its nature that make it so unique and beautiful (why walk there?).
Take your dogs to some park of some other dog dump run to do their business and socialize with others of similar likes. The beach is not your pets’ toilet. It is illegal (with good reasons) to have them on the beach (unless they are tied up on your own property) and I will call animal control (and encourage others) each and every time I see one being “walked” and also ask Sgt. Barrier of the Sheriff’s Department beach patrol to enforce the law (she does so gladly) and make you pay large fines as criminals until you learn respect and how to be a decent citizen and neighbor in Malibu. Beware of dog (non-lover).
Sam Birenbaum