“…obviously people who want to see this happen.”
Terri Samuels was playing with Willow, her white German Shepherd, off-leash at a local park recently when a bylaw officer approached them.
“We were all alone in a really big park and my dog was being very well behaved,” Samuels said. “Yet it was clear the officer was going to write a ticket.
“But I explained I am new to Sarnia and I didn’t know I was breaking a bylaw, so she took my information and let me off with a warning.”
That got Samuels thinking.
Sarnia has so many wide open spaces, yet only two parks where dogs are allowed to run off-leash: Germain and Blackwell.
And no dogs are allowed on any beach, not even if they are leashed.
“It doesn’t make sense. My dog loves to play Frisbee at the beach but I don’t want to break any bylaws,” Samuels said.
“I’m very surprised Sarnia hasn’t designated a beach area for dogs because a lot of other municipalities have,” she said. “I’m just a person who really wants to take my dog to the beach, on or off a leash, and I can’t.”
A month ago, Samuels decided to do something about it and started a change.org petition calling for dogs to be allowed on designated beaches.
“Without telling anyone about it, I already have 165 signatures,” she said. “I just put it out there and there are obviously people who want to see this happen.”
Her petition at “Allow Dogs on the Beaches in Sarnia” makes the case that pets can reduce stress and improve mental health, so the more time spent with them the better.
“By designating specific areas or times for dogs on the beach, we can ensure a clean, safe environment for everyone,” Samuels wrote.
She hopes to get widespread support and take the issue to city council.
Samuels moved to Sarnia in the summer of 2021 and was not aware that city council tackled the same issue that very year.
Three years ago, a group called “Sarnia Off-Leash Dog Parks and Zones” spearheaded a grassroots effort for more municipal dog-friendly spaces and a dog-friendly beach.
City staff did a survey that drew about 100 responses, with 81% in support of a dog-friendly beach, and 58% in support of an off-leash dog-friendly beach in a non-fenced area.
Potential beach locations floated at that time included Canatara’s west end, Mike Weir Park beach, Baxter Beach and The Cove on Lake Huron. Kenwick Beach was also discussed.
It was noted at the time that Canatara Beach could lose its coveted “Blue Flag” status if dogs were allowed, but dog owners argued that Ontario’s popular Wasaga Beach, which has a Blue Flag designation too, has a dog-friendly area marked by two wooden fences.
But a 2022 staff report said that online community response on a city forum called Speak Up Sarnia to a potential dog-friendly beach, was generally negative. Council voted 7-2 in favour of staff’s recommendation to retain public beaches for people only.
Samuels said she hopes city council will reconsider. Sarnia needs a place where large dogs like hers can run leash-free and get exercised properly, she said.
Dog parks help in some cases but they have challenges, she said.
“I think they’re a good idea but our dog parks have no shade…when more than one dog is there, it’s like a game of chance.
“I have worked very hard to teach my dog not to bark, lunge at or pay any attention to other dogs. I have also worked hard socializing my dog with children,” she said.
“I feel by taking her to the dog park, this all goes out the window.”
Samuels also said she believes dog parks can put some dogs at risk, noting that a small shih tzu was attacked and killed by a larger dog recently at the privately owned Blackwell dog park.
