Dogs banned at Hudson's Sandy Beach after attack

Dogs are banned until further notice at Hudson's Sandy Beach after a man was attacked by a dog earlier this week, leaving him with four puncture wounds on his arm.

Greg Baumeister, a local resident, said he was attacked by what he described as a "pit bull-type dog" while walking along the beach on July 11.

Baumeister said the dog, whichwas on a leash, made four "puncture wounds" in his arm before being pulled off by its owner.

"They go into the muscle," he said of the bites."The medical protocol for that I believe is antibiotic course and needles."

Hudson Mayor Jamie Nicholls said Friday that the incident wasn't the only reason for the ban.

The situation at the beach has gotten out of hand in recent months, he said. At times, there were as many as 30 dogs at once.

"Community patrol was having difficulty enforcing Hudson's on-leash bylaw," he said.

"As mayor, I have to protect the safety and security of all citizens of Hudson."

While the beach on the shores of the Lac des Deux Montagneshas been a popular destination for dog walkers for years,Nicholls said it had become even more popular after a Montreal newspaperdeclared it the closest beach to the citywhere dogs are permitted.

According to a statement on the city's website, the ban is effective "until further notice and council will be discussing the issue further in the upcoming months."

Gunther Pren, who was walking two dogs at the beach Friday morning,said the city overreacted to the incident.

"I think it's dumb really, because you're punishing everyone for one action," he said. "It's like if there's a car accident, you ban all cars."