Long Beach allows dogs on beach this offseason, fetches fees for it

Dog owners can now bring their canine friends to the beach during the offseason in Long Beach, under a pilot program that charges a fee for a permit.

The new rules allow leashed dogs to walk on Ocean Beach Park, as the beach is known, with a city permit, subject to certain conditions. Dogs are not allowed to walk on the boardwalk, except to cross it to enter and exit the beach.

Under the rules, dogs must have a permit tag on their collars. The permits cost $25 for resident dog owners or handlers and $50 for nonresidents.

The Long Beach City Council approved the pilot program, which runs through April 15, after a public hearing that stretched across two meetings.

The permits can be obtained through the city clerk’s office.

Proponents told the council that allowing dogs on the beach would improve quality of life and noted that some other beaches on Long Island allow the practice. Opponents argued that dogs on the beach would cause health problems when owners fail to clean up dog waste and spoil a pristine beach.

The Rev. Michael Delaney, vicar of St. James of Jerusalem Episcopal Church in Long Beach, told the City Council that the church garden used to have a problem with people not picking up their dogs’ waste, but then the church provided bags for their dogs and the problem largely went away.

“In our neighborhood, we have really dedicated people and we really love our animals and we take care of them and we clean up after them,” Delaney said.

He said he supports the pilot program, but he stressed the need for dogs to be leashed and for bags to be available for owners to clean up after their dogs.

Resident Bernadette Samuels urged the council to keep dogs off the beach. She said people already ignore the rules and bring their dogs on the boardwalk and beach.

“Unfortunately there are many people who do not pick up after their dogs,” Samuels said. “I've witnessed more than one time, dogs off leash on the beach, offseason, and the owner is by the shoreline, the dog is closer to the dunes defecating — they're not coming up to pick it up.”

The City Council amended the city charter to allow the council to establish rules by resolution to allow dogs on the beach, and then voted to pass the new rules.

The permit can be revoked if the owner or handler fails to immediately dispose of dog waste in indicated receptacles.