Forum of the group Help us make australia pet-friendly

Australia is blessed with hundreds of thousands of kilometres of beautiful, uncrowded beaches – to the north, south, east and west.

We are taught to swim only between the flags – and that is a REALLY small area in comparison with the beaches we have.

Yet, in Sydney, for example, dogs are prohibited from all ocean beaches – and there are more than 100km of shoreline.

What is your experience with dogs on beaches where you live?

I live on the south-west side of Lake Macquarie. I have two choices for taking my dog to the beach. I can take her to the southern end of The Lakes Beach. It’s a beautiful beach but the surf is a bit too rough for my dog. Or I can take her to Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle – which is where we usually go. Horseshoe is commonly referred to as the dog beach and is in the Newcastle Harbour so no really big waves. The beach sits behind Nobbys Beach (where the Pasha Bulka was washed up in the June 07 storm). I don’t think I have ever been there and not seen other dogs there. On the weekends in summer there can be a hundred dogs on the beach, most off leash. And everyone (with few exceptions) cleans up after their pets. Dogs are able to play and interact with other dogs and people, and the atmosphere is terrific. We often get horses down there too. I don’t know what I would do if they closed it off. The off leash areas in Newcastle are lovely but not terrific for my dog as there are no fences. Brisbane is the city that offers wonderful off leash parks for dogs and their owners. Each is fenced and has a bin with doggy do bags supplied. The bags they supply are totally biodegradable. That is, they don’t need sunlight to break them down, thus making them safe for waterside use.