ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Bringing pets to one of the beaches in Volusia County may soon come to an end.
A pilot program for a dog beach in Ormond Beach is set to finish next week, and the county council will decide whether to continue the initiative.
The dog beach spans a little over a half mile, and has attracted visitors from Ormond Beach and throughout Central Florida during its pilot phase. The county reports over 12,800 dogs have been recorded visiting the beach.
“There’s a huge, unmet demand for people to be able to take our dogs to the beaches,” said Nanette McKeel, of Daytona Dog Beach, Inc.
McKeel and her organization pushed for years for the creation of a dog-friendly area.
“There are a lot of health benefits for the people and their animals. We’ve heard from people that never come to the beach, but now they do,” McKeel said.
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But what has happened over the past 18 months could influence the county council’s decision.
Recent data released by the county reveals that out of the more than 12,000 dog visitors, there were no reported bites or aggressive behaviors. However, there were 326 incidents of dogs being off-leash and 15 instances in which owners failed to clean up after their pets.
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The initial cost to establish the dog beach and run it during the pilot was approximately $123,000.
David Schecter, a part-time resident near the dog beach who also spends time in Georgia, has started a petition to end the program. He believes there has not been enough enforcement from the county regarding owners not adhering to the rules, particularly those who allow their dogs to roam outside the designated beach area.
“Their lack of support for the areas for the residents, hotels and visitors walking on either end of the zone is concerning. When you ask them point-blank what they’re doing about those areas, they don’t have an answer,” Schecter said.
The county council is scheduled to vote on the future of the dog beach at their meeting next Tuesday, April 1.
