On March 2, the Town Council will hold a listening session regarding whether the Town’s regulations for dogs on the beach in our community should be amended. This is a subject that the Council first started considering in 2020 at the very start of the pandemic.
The effort had to be put on hold for health and safety reasons, as it was found that full and proper civic engagement could not easily be achieved through the then-new means of digital public meetings. The Town Council has not lost track of its intent to review the current regulations and consider whether an amendment is necessary and desired, and is eager for resident input on this question.
The current regulations are as follows:
- Dogs shall be permitted on beaches located within the corporate limits of the town provided that such dogs are under the care, custody, or control of their caretakers. For purposes of this section, the term "care, custody and control" means that dogs are leashed or physically restrained by their caretakers, or are visible to and under the voice control of their caretakers.
- Caretakers shall be responsible for picking up and depositing their dog's fecal matter in a trash receptacle.
- Dogs shall not be permitted on the dunes and shall not disturb any sea turtle nests which may be located along the beach.
You are encouraged to attend the meeting to participate in the open forum. It will start at 9 a.m. on March 2 in the Sandpiper Room of the Orchid Island Beach Club. Please feel free to also submit comments by emailing our Town Clerk, Vyviana Sawley, which will then be provided to each Councilmember.