Dog owners and their four-legged friends were out in force as a special event showcased an important campaign.
A dog lover's paradise took centre stage at Winterton-on-Sea beach on Saturday morning as the RSPB organised an event as part of the Share Our Shores campaign.
The charity hopes to work with beach users to highlight how beaches can be shared 'for happy dogs, happy people and happy wildlife.'
With the drop-in dogs' breakfast event attracting a fine turnout, people were able to discover how they can help the campaign – while also enjoying a series of treats for them and their pets.
As Winterton-on-Sea beach is popular with dog walkers, it also provides a haven for nesting birds – including rare seabirds such as little terns which fly all the way from West Africa to raise their young at the beach.
Winterton, and other east Norfolk beaches, support 20 per cent of the national little tern population – however, the birds have suffered serious declines in the past 30 years due to a lack of safe beaches to nest and feed their chicks on, which are free from predators and human or dog disturbance.
So, in an effort to create more bird friendly beaches, the RSPB unveiled the Share Our Shores campaign – as the charity feels the beach can cater for everyone. With a range of dogs – from Chihuahua's to an Irish Wolfhound – attending, owners were able to speak to RSPB staff, volunteers and some of the little tern wardens all on the beach.
Encouraging all beach users to do what they can to make sure wildlife can flourish on the region's coastline, the dog owners discovered how best to Share Our Shores.
Emily Kench, RSPB Eastern England communications officer, said: 'It was a really lovely event. We had more than 50 people attend, which was a great turnout. There were lots of dogs and it was great to be able to speak to dog owners, beach users and make people aware.
'There was a real mix among those we spoke to, with many who walk their dogs every day on Winterton beach aware of the little terns as they walk certain ways to avoid the colony.
'It was lovely to celebrate, and we had a great morning with dogs and owners chatting about how we can Share Our Shores.'
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