Late last Thursday afternoon at Lambert’s Cove Beach in West Tisbury, early-season sunbathers dipped their feet in the icy water. A young couple paddle-boarded, their laughs just audible over the sound of waves. One man snoozed in a lounge chair, a discarded book at his side.

There were no dogs in sight. But in the wake of the recent controversy over whether to allow dogs on the beach in the summer months, there were plenty of opinions about the subject.

“Dogs and beaches absolutely go together,” said Susie Herr, a West Tisbury property owner who had come to the beach with two fishing poles and a bag of bait. Years ago, Ms. Herr would regularly walk her Scottie along the beach, but said she “would catch all kinds of hell” from other beachgoers. 

But she believes the blame is misplaced. In her estimation, 95 per cent of the dogs found at Lambert’s Cove beach are well-behaved and friendly. “People cause most of the problems,” she said, describing late-night partiers who leave the beach littered with beer cans and other trash.

Karen English, a year-round West Tisbury resident who owns two dogs, sided with the current policy to allow dogs on the beach in the morning hours from June 15 to Sept. 15. “I’m all for allowing dogs in the morning and then having them off the beach for the rest of the day,” she said. Ms. English said she brings her Jack Russell and Chihuahua every morning, and has “not seen any disturbances. I don’t think dogs disturb people in the early morning.”

Others said they wouldn’t mind seeing a summer-long ban on dogs at Lambert’s Cove.

“They have the rest of the year,” said Jay McGurren, who spends most of the year on the Vineyard. He said the dog problem has gotten noticeably worse in recent years, and it might be time for a change.

But the details of that change sparked differing opinions, too. Michelle LeBlanc, a town resident who was visiting the beach last week, said she is “absolutely opposed” to any policy that will require townspeople to pay more, such as the employment of an animal control officer and an additional parking lot attendant. “Maybe these people who feel strongly could set up a network of volunteers,” she added.

Ms. English said she agrees with the need to hire an attendant for the parking lot, but thinks an animal control officer is unnecessary. “I think that’s just overkill,” she said. (At the special town meeting Tuesday, voters agreed.)

In the end she concluded that the problem might be solved by an increased effort to educate beach-goers.“People don’t read signs. People will pay attention if someone comes up and talks to them,” she said.

Ms. LeBlanc had a different view. “You can’t legislate people to be responsible,” she said.

Everyone at the beach did agree on one thing: They are tired of the ongoing debate. “It’s silly to have so much negative energy around dogs,” said Ms. English. “It takes away from the peaceful, cooperative image that West Tisbury is known for.”