Bouncy Dogs, Boorish Owners

On July 8, I was surf fishing at the west end of the Santa Claus Lane beach when two large, off-leash dogs bowled into me and knocked me down in shallow water. I could not get up as my left knee was seriously damaged. The two dog owners chased after their dogs and kept walking away towards the Padaro Lane beach. There was no expression of remorse, no offer of assistance, and no acknowledgment that the incident had even occurred. As I limped back to my car, I also discovered that some expensive fishing equipment had been damaged beyond repair.

I find this blatant disregard of regulations that are in place to ensure public safety inexcusable. I am also shocked at the callous and cavalier attitude of the dog owners. This is not an isolated incident as I am frequently approached by off-leash dogs while fishing at local beaches, particularly Santa Claus Lane and Miramar beaches. The last thing any fisherman wants is to have to deal with a dog that got hooked due to its owner’s lack of attention. In the interest of public and animal safety, control your dogs.