And you should never make the mistake of thinking that they are more important than children.

When you take your children to the beach, they should be 100 per cent safe.

When you take an unleashed dog to the beach, no-one can say they are 100 per cent under control.

 When you visit a beach, you should never have the threat of a dog menacingly approaching you. And this is what happens now at Little Austie Beach.

Commonsense says that any area where small children are playing should be off limits to dog traffic, based on the risk of diseases and parasites such as hookworm, roundworm and campylobacter.

Faeces can support pathogens for months and sometimes years. 

You only need one dog who hasn’t been treated correctly and this can be the result.

 Little children who play in the sand can easily accidentally ingest these parasites. They should not play in areas that may be contaminated.

 Little Austie Beach has been known to have a high tide mark of faeces. This happens when the owner merely buries the poo in the sand instead of picking it up. 

Yes, this is what is happening. 

I saw the headline concerning this issue. 

And if I am targeted for trying to keep Little Austi safe for children, then I am proud of that fact and won’t be bullied into backing down.

There have been many families who have said to me that they can no longer visit this beach for the above reasons. But they are too scared to voice their opinions for fear of retaliation. And yes, this also happens.

Hopefully, the right decision will be made for a once pristine and safe beach.