No dogs allowed on Sands Beach to protect snowy plover nesting habitat

At only 6 inches long and with excellent camouflage, the snowy plover is hard to spot.

"Imagine a small marshmallow on a stick. That's a snowy plover chick," described Christina Sandoval, UCSB Reserve Director.

The species has seen a dramatic decrease in population largely due to habitat loss, human disturbance (nests getting stepped on) and predation, sometimes by dogs. This is why UCSB Reserve Director Cristina Sandoval says banning canines from Sands Beach in Isla Vista is necessary.

"We tried for 20 years to just have people leashing their dogs. Sixty percent leashed their dogs, but forty percent didn’t," Sandoval explained.

Plovers are listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and nesting sites across California will no longer allow dogs, according to State Parks.

For Sands Beach, that rule started Thursday, but many beachgoers didn’t know the rules had changed.

Kerry White frequently brings her dogs to the beach and doesn’t think a dog ban is necessary.

"As long as people are responsible for their dogs and put them on leashes, I think, hopefully, it would be a nice balance," White said.

White says she respects the birds and always leashes her dogs in the plover habitat.

Cyclist and dog owner Jerry McKeown thinks dogs should be able to run free, but…

"If it's bothering the birds, then they should be kept on a leash but not prohibited," McKeown said.

I saw many dogs while at the beach, some were leashed, and others not. UCSB's Coil Oil Point Reserve is in the process of educating the community about the new rules and hopes beachgoers will respect them.

"People can still come to the beach, they can watch birds, sunbathe, surf. We are learning how to share the beach," Sandoval said.

If you visit the beach, don’t bring your dog, obey posted signs, and try to walk close to the waterline to avoid disturbing buried nests.