News

South Portland residents sign petition to bring dog rules back to council

South Portland residents sign petition to bring dog rules back to council

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) — It’s a debate that has been going on for years in South Portland: should dogs be allowed on city beaches and if so, what time of year and day?

The city council made amendments to these rules earlier this month, and residents are now trying to petition those changes.

Currently, dogs are allowed to be off-leash on Willard Beach from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 pm. But under an ordinance change passed by the city council, dogs will have to be on-leash from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Those changes are expected to go into effect on June 28.

South Portland resident Michael Schwartz opposes the changes made by the council and created a petition in homes to extending the window where dogs are allowed on the beach.

“Why don’t we say from 5 p.m. to you know what? That’s just leash time,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz did more than walk his dog in South Portland a decade ago, his dog, Pre, pulled him while he rollerbladed instead. But with Pre getting older, a walk on Willard Beach is more his speed.

“When we’re down at the beach, it’s a community,” Schwartz said. “And what I mean by community, I almost don’t know people’s last names. I don’t know how much money people make. I don’t know how they vote.”

The South Portland City Council passed the current rules on June 14 after listening to public comments from both sides.

“Everybody was allowed to speak for five minutes, tell a story, and then at the end, there wasn’t any give or take,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz emphasizes he is not a leash fundamentalist or an unleash absolutist.

“My hope is that the council can pause and reconsider, and then we can all put the heated rhetoric and invective and vitriol aside,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz needs 1,098 signatures before turning the petition in on Monday. He said he’s three-quarters of the way to his goal.

If enough signatures are collected, the petition will move forward to a future council agenda to request a repeal of the new ordinance. If the council fails to repeal the ordinance, the question will go on the ballot for a future election.

Latest Headlines

15 hours ago in Local

Police Looking for Missing Washington County Teen

The Washington County Sheriff's Office are looking for 16-year-old Lilyanna Rose Cook, who was last seen in Roque Bluffs, Maine.

1 day ago in Local

Struck-down Maine citizen’s referendum on super PAC donations heads to appeals court

Despite getting over 75% of the vote, a Portland judge deemed the referendum unconstitutional this past summer, citing the ruling made by the Supreme Court on the 2010 Citizen's United case.

2 days ago in Local

Police find missing teen after vehicle pursuit in Skowhegan

A missing teenager was found in the vehicle of a Norridgewock man who police say led them on a chase in Skowhegan on Thursday.

2 days ago in Local

Maine State Police seeking information about bank fraud suspect in Aroostook County and Bangor

A woman is wanted for bank fraud in Bangor and Aroostook County.

2 days ago in Local

What to Know About Maine U.S. Senate Race

Democrats are hoping to unseat Republican Susan Collins.