COOGEE Beach might be going to the dogs — quite literally, a local resident fears.

A 74-year-old Coogee man, who did not want to be named, started a petition this week against a proposal to allow dogs to run free at the local foreshore.

In February, Cockburn councillor Kevin Allen asked the council to investigate whether it would be a good idea to turn a section of the bay — from the northern end of the shark net to a sea wall near Port Coogee — into a dog beach on a permanent basis or even just for a few hours in the morning.

It came after 116 people signed a different petition asking for a dog beach.

The anti-pooch beach petitioner is concerned dogs will run amok, “weeing and pooing” and messing with people’s things.

“There are other beaches dog owners could use instead of this one,” he says. “This is a family beach.”

Cr Allen says new residents are largely behind the dog push.

• Lee Wade and her border collie at the South Beach dog beach. She would like another dog-friendly bay at Coogee. Photo by Emmie Dowling

“A lot of people who have moved to the area in the past 18 to 24 months go on morning walks and want to be able to let their dogs go for a bit of a swim on the way home,” he told the Herald.

He’s personally agnostic on the issue and had presented the matter to colleagues because he’d been asked to do so.

He believes however the proposal is unlikely to succeed, as previous attempts have failed over issues including safety fears, excreta and the presence of a number of nearby dog-friendly beaches.

There are nine dog beaches across the Perth metropolitan area, the closest to Coogee 3.5km away at CY O’Connor Beach.

Lee Wade, who was with her border collie at South Beach this week, would welcome Coogee being the 10th dog beach.

Cockburn council is expected to make a decision by July.

by EMMIE DOWLING