Local Women Push for Dog Ban on Bridge to be Reversed

Many women say they feel safer exercising in public when accompanied by their dogs. That’s why one woman is asking the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen to lift the dog ban from the Biloxi Bay Bridge. News 25 hit the streets to find out how Ocean Springs bridge walkers feel about the ban.

Women who are a part of the W.A.V.E. movement in Ocean Springs are brainstorming ideas to make the Biloxi Bay Bridge safer after a sexual assault happened on the bridge last fall. One woman, Donna Bright, went before the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night, requesting the dog ban be lifted from the bridge. Dogs were banned in 2009 after overwhelming complaints about waste not being picked up. Robin Cooley, founder of W.A.V.E., says, "I like what Donna said, she said let’s not just ban things, let’s look for solutions, and that’s what you know I think having your dog would do, but you know, it’s a part of our community. We need to be picking up after our dogs."

Kayla Bell, a local resident and runner, says it makes sense for women to have their dogs with them as they walk the bridge at night. Bell says, "You know, during the day this is definitely a safe area, but at night, you never know, so I feel like it’s always a good idea to have that comfort there."

Many of the people News 25 spoke with Wednesday are in favor of having dogs on the bridge, but there is still one woman who believes dog owners aren’t responsible enough to have that privilege. Susan Auge, a resident in favor of the dog ban, says, "There are other people who are not that responsible, so if their dog has an accident on the bridge, they’re not gonna’ clean it up, so ultimately that leaves people having to walk through that, so I think at this point no, there shouldn’t be dogs on the bridge."

The Board of Aldermen made no action on the request, but has taken it into consideration. Mayor Connie Moran tells News 25 she is looking into installing security cameras on the bridge. She and the police department are meeting with camera vendors on Friday to try to work out a deal. There is no ban on walking your dog on the Biloxi side of the bridge.