Community Forum To Address Dogs On Beaches Thursday Night

Residents will come together Thursday night to discuss an issue that has polarized the Southold community -- dogs on public beaches.

A community forum will take place Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the Southold Town Hall meeting room. 

Southold Town Supervisor promised to organize the forum after a recent public hearing in March on the issue.

The town, Russell said, will host the informal discussion for the community to share their views regarding dogs and other domestic animals on town beaches and park facilities, currently prohibited by law. 

Before developing any additional proposed policies and regulations, Russell said the town board would like to challenge the community to reach a reasonable compromise through understanding the necessity of promoting public safety while recognizing Southold’s unique community character and rural life. 

Russell asked that the meeting remain constructive, with a focus on compromise and sharing ideas.

March's public hearing on a proposed leash law brought out Southold residents on both sides of the issue; the overwhelming majority of those present spoke passionately about the need to use common sense when legislating whether or not four-legged friends should run free on town beaches.

"We need to pass something soon," Russell said. "We have a growing issue in Southold Town."

He reminded residents that the town code as it currently stands does not allow for any dogs on public beaches at all.

Russell also said that the discussion did not arise out of an incident last year on Bailie Beach, when Mattituck resident Dan Catullo said he was attacked by a dog, but by a growing number of concerns expressed by residents in areas including New Suffolk.

"There is a myth out there that one man came to the town board and we rushed pell mell to placate him," Russell said. He added that the town code as it stands, was written in 1981, is restrictive to dog owners -- but a fair balance must be reached.

"This is a growing conflict," he said. "We need something fair to all sides."

Linda Auriemma, vice president for membership of the the New Suffolk Civic Association, has expressed concerns over those who allow their dogs to poop on the beach and do not clean up after their pets. 

Auriemma, who said she planned to attend Thursday night's meeting, said members of her group had embarked upon some canvassing of residents, who "run the gamut" in their feelings on the issue, ranging from those who support full unrestricted access for dogs on the beach, to those who advocate for prohibiting dogs on the beach at all times. 

"Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, but only if the cleaning-up problem can be greatly improved. In New Suffolk, the issue is the continued failure of dog owners to pick up after their pets, and until dog owners become more responsible, we can't comfortably support a change in the law which would allow dogs on our beaches," she said.

Auriemma added that another 12 loads of poop were picked up on New Suffolk's town beach on April 13. In March, she said she returned from a "sweep" of the New Suffolk beach with 21 separate deposits of dog poop found in the sand.

"The civic stands ready to help in any way we can to educate/persuade all dog owners to do the right thing," Auriemma said.