Dog Friendly Beach

[The Gentleman Sawyer]

My Wife has decided that, for her 50th birthday, she would like to take our 8 year old golden to a beach for a few days. Somewhere on the GA/SC/FL coast. But during her research she ( and I) were shocked to find that many locations don't allow dogs. It seems actually harder to find a dog-friendly beach than a hotel that allows pets. Any Suggestions?

Ken

[S.V. Airlie]

During the winter.. should be okay. Most beaches are closed to pooches from say May 15th to Labor Day....
And I have discovered that this rule is rarely enforced...

[Paul Pless]

St Simon's Island, Georgia. I spent a week there, after Labor Day last year and its legal to have dogs on the entire island including the beaches if on leash. Actually they seemed to be pretty lax on the leash law on some of the beaches. Hotel was easy on dogs too. We took my old Rottweiler and my sister's Shar Pei. Pretty nice place, half way between Savannah and St. Augustine if you want some other diversions.

I think our forum member by the name of AHP lives on the island, might be worth getting a hold of him.

My experience has been that nowhere on the panhandle of Florida is dog friendly. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach aren't bad as far as hotels and in the towns but not on the beach.

[ahp]

Yes people do let their dogs run on the beach during the off-season. If there is a leash law it doesn't seem to be enforced. We do like to have the owner pick up after the dog, there is a sign to that effect and there is a little plastic bag dispenser where you walk onto East Beach. Enjoy.

[Dale R. Hamilton]

You guys are seeking to circumvent a very well placed public health law in place to protect people. The reason is canine strongyloidosis- worms. Many many dogs carry it and of course when they crap on the beach, 7-8 days late a filariform larva is released from the parasite eggs, These larva are infective to humans. They bore into bare feet, enter human circulation and vis the heart, lungs and respiratory tree- and then migrate to all sorts of places. The dog tapeworm Taenia hydatigena is even more of a threat to human beings- the migrating larva entering the brain to form fatal hydatid disease. So, we don't need your animals on beaches where human beings play. Keep them at home in a kennel where they belong.

[BillT]

Honeymoon Island State Park (http://www.floridastateparks.org/hon...Activities.cfm) near Clearwater, FL allows dogs on the beach. Also, I have seen people with their dogs in the water at Crystal Beach, FL and along the Courtney Cambell causeway (runs from Tampa to Clearwater across Tampa Bay).

Bill