Local Dog-Friendly Beach No Longer Dog-Friendly

My wife and I live in Lakewood, so a quick trip to the Manasquan dog beach is the perfect thing for the weekends. Our dogs both love it too, but now we won't be able to enjoy the area.

The Monmouth County Park System released a statement regarding Fisherman's Cove. In an effort to avoid conflict, and allow all to equally use the site, the MCPS will manage the site as follows: dogs are not permitted on the Fisherman’s Cove beach between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. Dogs are permitted on the beach prior to 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m., providing they are leashed and under control.

If you have any questions regarding this new policy, you can contact the MCPS at (732) 842-4000.  You can also leave an online comment through this link, or contact the County Freeholders here.

Internet petitions don't often do much, but it can't hurt to check this one out.

I've already voiced my complaint, and I encourage you to do the same. Here's my main issue: there are countless places for people to enjoy the beach, but this is the only one that I know of that welcomes dogs. To claim that these new rules allow "equal use" is simply false. If certain things are being restricted, then it's not really equal, is it?