Wagging tails and hungry stomachs will be able to go down to Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club for a food and conservation event.
Friends of the Hooded Plover Bellarine will host a family-friendly Dog’s Breakfast on 3 January, where people and their furry companions can enjoy a free sausage sizzle and dog treats.
Volunteer Christine Rees said the event would be a chance for volunteers and community members to discuss how they can help look after the region’s hooded plovers.
“The birds, being wild animals, can be anywhere along the beach because we can’t contain them to the area where we put a sign and fence,” she said.
“We just want to educate owners that dogs need to be on leash for the entire length of the beach, not just the sections that they see signed and roped.
“It’s a chance for them to get to know the volunteers and for us to get to know some other dog owners as well as an opportunity for us to educate how they can help protect the hooded plovers.”
Ms Rees said she looked forward to connecting and engaging with dog owners on ways to help protect the “precious hoodies that live on the back beach”.
“We want people to continue walking their dogs along the beach but in a way that will also help the hooded plovers thrive so that everyone can share the space,” she said.
“We’re not trying to stop people from doing that activity as we encourage that because it’s a really healthy lifestyle for people to get out and walk their dogs on the beach.”
Visit events.humanitix.com/friends-of-the-hooded-plover-bellarine-dog-s-breakfast for more information and to book a spot during the breakfast.
