No Dogs Allowed On This Popular Jersey Shore Beach & Boardwalk

You don’t have to be a dog owner to know that dogs love an open space.  Being cooped up in a small area for a long period of time is not the friendliest venue for your furry best friend.

Listen to Rich DeSisto weekdays from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. on 105.7 The Hawk and download our free 105.7 The Hawk app.

Living with your dog at the Jersey Shore, the most obvious controlled open space you want to allow your hound to take off is the beach.  Most dogs love the beach.  I don’t think I ever met a dog that did not.

I must admit, it stops me in my tracks to witness the joy on these canine faces as they romp and frolic in the sand, or chase after a ball or a stick in the waves.  They’re like children playing in a schoolyard.  Content and thrilled to be allowed to roam about with their familiar person by their side at the ready to take part in the fun

Seems like a no-brainer, right?  Not so fast, right?  It’s important to understand a level of safety that must be applied to your beach visit with your pup.  If you’re a dog owner you probably already know.  But just in case, here is a link.

It’s also good to know there are more beaches with “No Dogs Allowed” signs than there are not.  So here is a list of Dog-friendly beaches in NJ.

Why would anyone deny these adorable creatures...

One of those beach towns that have prohibited dogs, is Seaside Heights.  As the offseason is here, officials are restating to the community the borough's policy on prohibiting dogs on the boardwalk and the beach. 

Simply put the reminder was quoted as saying…

“Dogs are no longer permitted on the Seaside Heights Ocean beaches and boardwalk.  This is a year-round regulation. Off-season rules no longer apply.”

The prohibition passed back in March after initially dogs were allowed from October through Palm Sunday.  However, some circumstances, including dog owners failing to clean up after their dogs, created the debate and the subsequent new rule.

As with any new ordinance, there are fines attached, including a penalty for the misleading claim your dog is a service animal.  Service dogs are the exception and are allowed.

The Seaside Heights borough statement reads….

“All claims that a dog is a service animal will be challenged by trained code enforcement officers as permitted by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Very few dogs are bona fide service animals. Comfort dogs and therapy dogs are not bona fide service animals. In New Jersey, you can be fined from $100 to $500 for putting your dog in a guide dog harness to falsely pass it off as a guide dog.”

Dog owners who do not adhere to the new ordinance will be fined a minimum of $100 with a maximum fine of $1,250.

As I write this article, the popular episode of the Peanuts comes to mind where Snoopy is faced with the challenges of being a dog.  Everywhere he wanted to go, the beach, the library, on a bus, he was met with the same ordinance.  NO DOGS ALLOWED!

There may be restrictions for dogs on the beach and boardwalk, but there are many Jersey Shore restaurants that welcome your four-legged friend...