On a beach in south Maine, an off-leash dog killed a newly fledged piping plover, a species that is declared federally threatened and endangered in the state of Maine. The beach has off-leash hours from sunrise to 9 AM and the plover habitat is clearly marked with numerous signs and exclosures. Click HERE for the story and video.
In a follow-up story, officials explain that the dog owner has come forward and that the owner may not be charged.
The video and text exhibit a remarkable complacency about dogs on the beach and their devastating effects on wildlife. The incident also shows clearly that off-leash hours on the beach place wildlife at risk, no matter how many signs and exclosures are put up to protect sensitive species and habitat.
As we contemplate demands by a minority special interest group to allow off-leash hours at Live Oak beaches, we must take into account the negative impacts of a massive increase in off-leash dogs on the beach where sensitive species live, feed, rest and reproduce.
Leash Law Advocates of Santa Cruz County, LLASCC, has documented successful killdeer nesting and fledging on the beach at the Corcoran Lagoon outflow http://llascc.weebly.com/habitat.html, which is also designated as Critical Habitat for the Tidewater Goby. Volunteers built exclosures around these nests to protect them from dogs running illegally off-leash. Thanks to these dedicated volunteers, eight new killdeer are alive and enjoying their natural habitat.
As part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Critical Habitat for endangered species, and sensitive habitat for shorebirds and other wildlife, Live Oak beaches are inappropriate for the establishment of off-leash dog play areas.
