Varacchi Agrees With Seaside’s Anti-Dog Rules

It's been a whirlwind of doggy debate for Seaside Heights, with a proposal to allow dogs on the beach year-round getting shot down within about 24 hours...and I'm happy with that outcome.

As I saw my Facebook feed filled with stories and opinions, I was surprised (happy, but surprised) to see that a lot of the opposition was from dog-owners like myself. I have two dogs, both small guys, who definitely enjoy being outdoors, definitely love the beach, but definitely don't belong on the boardwalk.

It seems like most dog owners echoed the same thoughts I had:

• Dogs make messes, and some jerks don't clean up after them.
• The boardwalk gets crowded during Benny season, it's hard enough to have your own personal space, let alone worry about your dog getting stepped on or someone tripping over a leash.
• There are a lot of kids on the boardwalk, and even well-trained dogs can still snap if they're hurt. We've gone through a lot of training with Baby Varacchi, teaching her to be gentle with the dogs, but occasionally she'll still tackle one or pull an ear; if a dog is in a big loud environment, there's a good chance some kid could startle a dog and get bit.
• I have nothing against any breed of dog, but I do tend to discriminate against the owners of certain breeds. I know that pitbulls are no more dangerous than any other dog, but I also know that a lot of people that I've met who own pitbulls are high on the d-bag scale. Add in the "MTV Jersey Shore" attitude, you're going to see a boardwalk flooded with over-tanned, spikey-haired, tank-top-wearing guys walking pitbulls with spiked collars and chain leashes. No thanks.

I spend a lot of time during the summer at the dog beach in Manasquan, and 90% of the people there are cool and respectful...but the beach is not the boardwalk, and Manasquan is not Seaside.

Bring your dogs out during the off-season, bring them to the dog beach, bring them to Yappy Hour at the Wonder Bar...just don't bring them on the boardwalk.

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