It seems like it’s getting tougher and tougher to find a beach that allows dogs. In Los Angeles County, out of over 70 miles of coastline and beaches, only one smaller beach  allows dogs on a regular basis. I spent lots of time in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Rehoboth is a dog friendly town but dogs are not allowed on the beach or board walk from May 1 until after September 30th. In Dewey Beach, which is the next town south of Rehoboth, dogs are allowed on the beach before 9:30am and after 5:30 pm during the summer months.  A study showed that the main reason why dogs are banned from most beaches is a disregard for leash laws. Problems often arise when someone lets their dog off leash, and then either ignores their dog or does not have their dog trained well enough to listen to them. This scenario can lead to the off-leash dog having a confrontation with another person or child, or even another dog. If everyone obeyed the law, you may find more beaches that allow dogs.

Keep the local laws on dogs on the beach in mind when you are on vacation. Have a safe and happy summer with your pet!

Remember, your pets count!