It seems nothing polarises people like pooches – the issue of dogs being walked where they shouldn’t be is provoking discussions at hot-dog temperatures up and down the Eurobodalla Shire. In Long Beach, reader Allan Pryor and family have sent numerous images of dogs being exercised – on and off leash – in clear view of prohibiting signs. A horse was also galloped along the beach. His letter is published below. However, his concern extends back in time, after “on the western area of Long Beach, a large unleashed dog attacked a middle aged woman walking on the beach with her husband on October 27,  2017”. Further south, a reader in Narooma has appealed for visitors and locals to respect on-leash areas. “Too many people think that if there is no-one around, it is OK to release their dog/s on the beach, who then disturb resting/nesting/feeding birds and/or don't clean up after their dog/s,” she said. “There are enough locals who do this, let alone tourists adding to the problem.” Her concern about “locals” was reinforced a few days later at Bermagui: “After reminding someone that the beach was not leash free, I was told, ‘we're locals and we can do what we want’. Meanwhile, in the middle of the shire, a dog-loving reader who had left a pet behind to go to Denhams Beach and McKenzies Beach, near Malua Bay, was frustrated to find many visitors ignoring the restrictions. That letter is published below. In 2017, Eurobodalla Shire Council began a trial of on and off-leash areas. New time-share arrangements came into effect in November 2018. A big thumbs down to dog owners in and around the Eurobodalla Shire.  Myself and my family have been visiting the beaches a lot and have come upon numerous dogs and dog owners breaking the rules. The majority of dogs are on the lead but still on the beach within the times dogs aren’t allowed – 9am to 5pm.  We visited Mackenzies Beach and found two dogs and yesterday visited Denhams Beach for two hours from 10:30am and saw eight different dogs on the beach. Where are the rangers?  I am a dog owner myself and would love to take my dogs for a splash but I follow the rules.  One dog at Denhams Beach continued to bark and bark at the owners, who did nothing to quieten. Another one was snapping at the waves, scaring my eight-year-old daughter, who thought the dog was trying to bite her as she walked past.  These dogs at the busiest time of the year are ruining the quiet serene beach day for everyone else.  There are so many dogs on the Bay Road end of Long Beach in the prohibited area that there were three opposite the “Dogs Prohibited” sign at 16 Bay Road before 9.30am on Saturday, December 29. If you do not enforce your own regulations, dog owners will continue to flaunt them. The lack of ranger patrols is so much out of control that a horse was galloped from the western end to the eastern end and then ridden back at walking pace. The dogs on the beach did not seem to bother the horse. Thanks for sending a ranger at about 1.15pm. That is a rare sight indeed. To our amazement the ranger missed seeing a dog on a leash at the far eastern end of the beach as he drove along Bay Road and parked near Fauna Avenue. By coincidence the dog was brought off the beach onto Bay Road as he parked. It would have been difficult for the ranger to see the beach because of all the vehicles parked along the beachfront and we have the benefit of an elevated deck. Hhe ranger walked from his parked vehicle to the beach and had a look, saw no dogs and then drove away. He returned about 1.45pm and did another check when again there were no dogs on the beach. Please do not lose interest after one empty check and start doing surveillance patrols on a regular basis. Editor’s note: Mr Pryor supplied photographs showing dogs being walked and swum in prohibited areas.