Dogs create problems for birds and water quality along Lido Beach
SARASOTA, Fla. - In an effort to protect visitors and birds, the city of Sarasota is putting up signs reminding pet owners that dogs are not allowed on Lido Beach. The ordinance is not new, but officials say recently more dogs have been spotted on the shore.
"It's important to recognize that dogs and birds, they just don’t mix," said Kylie Wilson, coordinator of Audubon Florida's Shorebird Stewardship and Monitoring in Sarasota County.
Over the last few years, Wilson has watched over snowy plovers, black skimmers and least terns. They are state-threatened species and dogs can disrupt their colonies.
"These birds nest directly on the sand and they are highly sensitive to disturbances and dogs to them look like a predator, it causes them to get scared off of their nest," Wilson explained.
Wilson has seen eggs and chicks picked off by predators when this happens and she's concerned for their future.
"The way I try to explain it to people, if we don’t protect these unique and fun birds all we will be left with are crows and gulls," she said.
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Another concern Sarasota has involves water quality.
"We have about 3,400 pounds of dog waste in the city every day. As you can imagine, that adds up over time and dog waste is raw sewage," said Jeff Vredenburg, the city’s sustainability coordinator.
Vredenburg said if not picked up, dog waste ends up in our local waters and can cause extra problems.
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"Those waterways end up in our bay. That causes algae blooms, causes people to get sick and we don’t want to swim in that water," he stated.
The city of Sarasota has two dog parks at Arlington Park and Gillespie Park.
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