VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — There’s a new push to change Virginia Beach law that could require dogs to wear a leash on the beach at all times.
It's a departure from current law, which says dogs are allowed to roam leash-free during the off season, as long as the dog is “under control.”
“The dog just must be “under control” and there is a huge confusion as far as, that opens the door for discretion, ‘what is under control?’” said Virginia Beach Animal Control Officer Meghan Conti.
Conti said there’s been an uptick in complaints of out of control dogs. Per Virginia Beach Animal Control records:
In 2017, there were 18 dog bites, 14 were off leash
In 2018, there were 15 dog bites, 11 were off leash.
“There are citizens out there that they don’t necessarily want a dog jumping on them or jumping on their beach blanket or digging in their coolers,” said Conti. “There’s a concern there that the voice commands are not controlling the dog’s actions. Then you go so far as a dog attacking another dog, if the owner is screaming and there’s no stopping that attack.”
Conti explained a dog was killed last year on the beach by two other dogs that were off leash.
Beachgoer Robin Sommerville supports the change to the law. “I do believe that dogs need to be on leashes when they’re here on the beach,” said Sommerville. “There’s too many people, sometimes dogs are unpredictable and you just never can tell.
Dog owner Eric Wellmon said he disagrees that this is a public safety issue and said the responsibly lies with the owner.
“We have lots of friends who come here and they love letting their dog run around, getting wet in the water and playing with the ball on the beach so I guarantee you there’s a lot of people who would not want this to happen,” said Wellmon.
Virginia Beach Animal Control will hold a public forum on April 10 at the Law Enforcement Training Center at 6:30 p.m. Conti said they want both supporters and those in opposition to share their opinions.