Thank you for your article in the Times (May 18) about the Priscotts and their opposition to the petition presented to the Howick Local Board proposing an all-year-round, off-leash, open beach at Mellons Bay.
We fully support the Priscott’s concerns.
In recent years, as small dog walkers and grandparents, our visits to Mellons Bay have caused us some anxious moments, with unwanted and boisterous attention from large, unleashed dogs with inattentive or unconcerned owners.
We talked to another small dog owner whose westie had been chased into the water and stranded there by three large dogs and needed to be rescued, while the large dog owners stood nearby.
We carefully select the times we take our grandchildren to Mellons Bay now, despite them being very familiar with dogs of all sizes.
Since Covid times and with the surge in dog ownership, our local beaches are being visited regularly by commercial dog walking vans, usually with up to six large, unleashed dogs, under very loose control.
If this petition is successful, then Mellons Bay residents can look forward to their local beach being overrun by supercharged, large dogs from a much wider area, but devoid of small dog walkers and young children.
The Williams family
Bucklands Beach
