Relax the Leash Law on the uninhabited islands of the N.C. Outer Banks!

First off, I’d like to stress that I in no way condone out-of-control dogs being able to run wildly anywhere they please. If your dog is going to harass anyone--wildlife or people--then your dog should be leashed. Owners absolutely MUST be responsible for their dogs! But I do think there should be some sort of consideration for giving well-behaved dogs a chance to enjoy the beach too.

Click here to sign the petition.

Letter From Banks

My name is “Banks”...I’m a 4-yr old black Labrador Retriever who is affectionately named after our wonderful N.C. Outer Banks. I’d like to say thanks to Jo-Ann Crawley for her July 16^th Carteret County News-Times editorial “Pets Enrich Our Lives”. As a loyal pet who attempts to enrich my owner’s life, I am writing in response to the June 28^th News-Times article titled “Cape Lookout advises public to leash dogs”. We’ve all seen plenty of articles supporting the protection of various species of wild animals, but it seems like people more rarely stick up for the domesticated animals--us dogs--supposedly “Man’s Best Friend.”

Dogs like me have lots of energy, and we love nothing more than going to the islands of the Outer Banks to swim, run as fast as we can, and to just fetch stuff. But it’s a bit difficult to do any of these activities while we’re on leashes! The remote islands are a perfect place for us to get lots of exercise and have fun. Unless our owners are fortunate enough to have an extremely large yard, where else in Carteret County can we actually get the exercise we so desperately need? Walking around the neighborhood while on a leash is okay, but we need a lot more. In many homes, dogs are considered part of the family...well it’s pretty sad when the family goes boating but has to leave the furry family members at home because of an excessively severe leash law. Sure, the family could take us along, but I’m not sure which is worse--staying at home--or the torture of being leashed all day when we really want to run and play along the shoreline and swim in the water.

Cape Lookout National Seashore Superintendent Bob Vogel has valid concerns with regards to protecting the migrant bird species. I agree with Superintendent Vogel that the “Pristine beaches, great fishing and the persistent calls of wildlife are some of the experiences that have brought people to the seashore for generations.” But for generations many visitors have also enjoyed the experience of taking their pets out boating along with the rest of the family. Is enforcing a sweeping law that prevents any dogs from ever being off-leash anywhere on the islands really necessary? All of my dog friends and I hang out along the shoreline with our owners. Where exactly on the islands do the piping plovers (or other coastal birds) actually nest anyway? We’re not asking that we be allowed to roam freely all over the islands. But with over 56 miles of remote seashore, I don’t think it’s so unreasonable to allow unleashed dogs to play in areas where there is little chance we’d ever bother the wildlife...along a few, popular shorelines where boaters like to frequent (the west end of Shackleford Banks, on the sound side, for example).

I agree that our wildlife needs protecting, but the needs of domesticated pets should be protected as well. Despite what some people may lead you to believe, we dogs don’t really want to make orphans out of sea bird chicks, dig up turtle eggs, and harass the ponies. The island ponies are not a part of the habitat either and could also disturb the “natural” wildlife, but they’re kept on the islands because they’re part of what makes the Outer Banks special. I’d like to think that a dog’s ability to enjoy the boating experience with their owners is just as special. Don’t get me wrong...I’ve heard the stories about some idiot letting their dog chase the Outer Banks ponies, and I’ll be the first to admit such behavior is unacceptable. If you ask me, I’d say that the misbehaving dog and his idiot owner both need to be on a leash! But I’d be extremely curious to know what percentage of dogs actually disturb the Outer Banks wildlife. Is it 1 in a 100? Or is it really more like 1 in a 1000? Or 1 in 10,000? I realize that all it takes is one unruly dog to disturb the wildlife, but please don’t punish all of us dogs for the wicked actions of a very, very small minority.

There’s a minority of kids and even adults who misbehave on the Outer Banks too...in fact, I’d bet that people typically cause much more trouble than us dogs! Should we keep these groups on leashes too? Will the park service eventually ban all humans from the islands of the Outer Banks? I think there’d be an uproar of protest from people all over the state condemning such a notion. Well unfortunately, it’s a bit more difficult for us dogs to voice our feelings on such matters, but it’s time someone took a stand for man’s best friend! Pets are great for enriching peoples’ lives...please help ensure that opportunities exist for people to return the favor. Allowing dogs to run and play on the beach can enrich all our lives...dogs and people alike.

If you care about our plight, please beg your fellow dog-lover to follow the link at the top of www.OuterBanksDog.com, where you can sign an online petition in support of some sort of compromise to the strict leash policy being enforced in locations such as the Cape Lookout National Seashore. And please email your friends to gather support as well.

Sincerely, and with much tail-wagging,

Banks

Banks, the Labrador Retriever

(transcribed for me by my owner, Travis Day)

P.S. I also feel that the town of Morehead City needs a dog park! Such parks are a great place for us dogs to get exercise without “breaking the law” and for dogs and their owners to socialize with other dog-lovers. Come to think of it, the Charles S. Wallace School property (old Morehead Elementary School) that the town recently purchased has a nice, big, fenced-in “back yard” that would be perfect for me to run around in during the non-boating months!