Will Stone Harbor’s ‘Dog Beach’ Win an Extension?

STONE HARBOR — Debate over the “dog beach” reignited as the establishing resolution approaches Sept. 30 expiration.
Last June, council authorized leashed dogs on the beach from 80th to 83rd streets from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Residents’ opinions on the dog-friendly beach here are as different as cats and dogs.
While some opposed it all together, and referred to it as the “poopy beach,” others feel it could serve as a significant tourism draw.
Residents Kathleen and Frank Dallahan presented council with a petition Sept. 15 which requests council not only renew the dog beach resolution but also relaxes current dog beach regulations to allow canines to run unleashed.
They said it contained 464 signatures, with 254 from visitors and 210 from property owners.
Some just aren’t “dog people.”
At council’s Aug. 18 meeting, Councilman Randall Bauer read a letter from some 83rd Street residents who opposed the renewal.
In the letter, residents Thomas and Joan Brown and Dennis and Beth Salter wrote that they saw dogs unleashed and uncontrolled, and some owners have disregard for posted times. They wrote that dogs have run onto their properties and the dunes, and owners do not pick up after their pooches, so they get stuck with the mess.
Kathleen Dallahan cited an encounter in which she was warned by a police officer for having her pup unleashed. That prompted the petition drive to relax dog beach regulations.
She said the 83rd Street residents’ letter inaccurately described the situation and that frequenters of the dog beach have been courteous and attentive to their pets.
“It’s so nice to see the dogs, especially Labs and other larger dogs, run into the surf chasing a ball or a stick and returning it to their owners,” Dallahan said.
“Strategically, the dog beach makes sense. Tactically, it provides one more reason for travelers to come here. Best of all, the measure doesn’t cost the borough anything. That $50,000 allocated for a dog park can be use for something else,” Frank Dallahan said.
Council appropriated $50,000 for a dog park in the 2009 budget.
The petition group, organized by the Dallahans and Peter Svanda, also submitted to council a photo essay compiled by Svanda and Tim Flanagan that feature photos of dog owners on their best behavior.
Resident JoAnn McKiernan wants to take the dog-beach concept a step further. She said the borough should invest in the recently popularized “dog culture” industry.
“Dogs are considered part of the family. People want to take them on vacation,” she said.
More so, she said the borough should capitalize on the puppy power phenomenon by offering incentives for dog-friendly hotels, doggie day cares, walking services and day spas where people and dogs can get makeovers side by side.
She suggested the borough host “Yappy Hours,” a new trend in happy hour that invites canines to socialize alongside their owners.
“It’s a huge draw for non-profits and PR loves dogs and kids,” she said.
Some folks just aren’t “dog people” and might refrain from frequenting dog-friendly beaches and businesses for fear that an overfriendly Fido could ruin their experience.
Michael Schaffer’s book “One Nation Under the Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics and Organic Pet Food” explores how dogs have come from the doghouse to their owners’ beds.
Some folks just aren’t dog people.
Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck@cmcherald.com.