Earlier this week, national news reports suggested members of the public could face fines for walking their dogs on beaches across the country.
Following these reports, both North Ayrshire Council and South Ayrshire Council have confirmed there are no bans or restrictions in place for dogs on any of their beaches but do continue to ask all dog owners to act responsibly.
If you’re heading to the coast this Bank Holiday Weekend to make the most of the time off, and hopefully some good weather, we hope you enjoy yourselves but we want everyone to stay safe.
The coast is a great place for your four-legged friend to run around and to let everyone get some fresh air and some exercise. Just a few simple steps can make sure your trip to the coast is one to remember for all the right reasons – not the wrong ones.
Always keep your dog on a lead when near cliff edges or steep drops. The edges can be crumbly or slippery when wet and your dog could easily take a tumble and get into difficulty.
Dogs love running about in the surf and in the water but please only let your dog off the lead if they have good recall and the sea conditions are calm.
If the worst happens and your dog is being swept out to sea, please keep yourself safe and avoid entering the water in an attempt to rescue them as you are likely to also get into difficulty. Tragically in many situations, the dogs safely manage to swim to shore but their owners do not.
If your dog gets into difficulty at the coast please always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Coastguard Rescue Teams are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to those in need and are specially trained and equipped to deal with a wide variety of incidents, including of the canine variety.
Have a great weekend and we sincerely hope you don’t need our help, but we are standing by ready to respond should we be needed.
Search and Rescue – it’s what we do.
In a coastal, beach or cliff emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.