This scene is one that has personally appalled me all spring and summer long as hundreds of people have been seen by our staff and volunteers kayaking offshore with their dogs in this apparently growing fad. To each their own, though I do wish more safety precautions were taken here…life jackets are for wearing, you know, and they do no good when you’re already in the water or injured. Regardless, so many people and dogs in kayaks among the sizable and fast boats in Long Island Sound seem to enjoy landing on various beaches and offshore islands in order to stretch their legs, run said dog around, and create a major disturbance for nesting birds – sometimes even on restricted state or federal land, or private property!
America’s freedoms are extensive and many, but respecting property rights or federal environmental laws would be very patriotic as well. This has been a major problem for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds in 2016, among many others, and I hope the practice slows down or ends in 2017. There is a time and place for everything, and personal responsibility should be practiced a little more. I don’t know if my dog would enjoy kayaking, but I do know he would not enjoy being responsible for the abandonment of nests for state-listed species or death of federally endangered birds.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
