The summer is a wonderful time to enjoy leisurely walks on the beach and along Sea Isle City’s oceanfront Promenade – unfortunately, it’s not the time to enjoy those walks with your pet, city officials say.
Because of the extremely large number of residents and visitors who make use of Sea Isle’s beaches and Promenade, a longstanding municipal ordinance prevents dog owners from walking their pets on the beach or Promenade during the resort’s busiest time of year – including the summer months and throughout the month of September.
“Due to the tremendous influx of people we see during the summer, the ordinance prohibiting dogs from our beaches and Promenade helps keep those areas clean, because unfortunately not all dog owners are as responsible as we would like them to be,” Police Chief Thomas McQuillen said in a news release Wednesday.
“As fun as it is to be with your dog on the sand, we simply have too many pet owners in town to allow them on the beach or the Promenade during this time of year,” he added. “We need everyone with a dog to follow all of our rules and to be responsible dog owners.”
In addition to the prohibition of dogs on the beach and Promenade during the warmer months of the year, a separate municipal ordinance requires dogs to be kept on a leash and walked only by a person over the age of 12.
Also, dog owners must clean up after their pets and must keep their dogs on the curb-side of the sidewalk, because dogs are not permitted in Sea Isle’s public parks or on private property such as the front yards of homes (unless permission is granted by the homeowner), according to the release.
“Not everyone realizes that the phrase ‘curb your dog’ stems from the concept of preventing your pet from walking on front yards and other private property,” Public Information Officer Katherine Custer said. “Ensuring that dogs are kept on the curb-side of the sidewalk will prevent them from relieving themselves on your neighbor’s lawns or in their gardens – which is important because remnants of dog feces often remain behind even after it is scooped up.”
“We love seeing families with their pets here in Sea Isle City,” Custer continued. “However, because there are so many people walking their dogs every day, it’s very important that everyone understands the true meaning of curbing your dog – and how important it is to clean up after your pets and keep them off of the beach and Promenade, as indicated in our local ordinances.”
To learn more about Sea Isle City or to find contact information for each municipal department, visit www.seaislecitynj.us.
