Leash libraries roll out at 4 P.E.I. beaches, to encourage bird-protecting behaviour

Thanks to the Island Nature Trust, dog owners can now borrow a leash at one of several public beaches on Prince Edward Island where migratory birds are known to be dwelling. 

Jenna Cahill, the trust's coastal project manager, said the organization wanted to encourage people to keep their dogs restrained at beaches that do allow dogs.

Some don't during the bird breeding season; beaches within the P.E.I. National Park's boundaries ban dogs from April to mid-October.

Now there are four leash libraries at public beaches outside the national park's territory, at Barachois Beach, Bothwell Beach, Little Harbour and St. Peter's Harbour.

"There's kind of a perception that [people] don't have to have their dog on leash," Cahill said. 

By making leashes prominently available, with informative signage, she said the trust hopes people will get the message. 

She such restraint is needed to protect endangered nesting piping plovers, most particularly. 

"A lot of the stressors that [piping plovers] have here in P.E.I. is just people's off-leash dogs chasing the birds, or they can also step on them by accident or step on their nest," Cahill said. 

"Even if they don't actually catch one, [dogs] can still cause quite a bit of distress to them." 

Cahill said all shorebirds are vulnerable to animal disturbance, not just plovers. Because they have such a long migration, it is important for them to be preserving energy as they nest and cope with their fledglings, and off-leash dogs can make that difficult. 

Dangerous for dogs too

It can also be dangerous for dogs to be off leash on beaches. If they get out of their human's sight, they could end up sick from consuming shellfish — or worse, come into contact with a live or dead bird infected with avian influenza, said Cahill. 

She understands it can be difficult to keep your dog on the leash if it wants to swim, but urges people to snap on the leash quickly once the dog is out of the water.

Ideally, Cahill added, people can take advantage of P.E.I.'s many trails to walk their dogs, but she knows the lure of the ocean.  

"I'm a dog owner myself and she's kind of my pride and joy. So I like to take her everywhere with me," she said. 

The feedback on the leash libraries has been very positive so far, said Cahill.