Residents have been kindly HOUNDING us about needing more space and time availability to allow their dogs more leashed/off-leash opportunities. Therefore, we will be hosting a public hearing at approximately 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 17th in Room 119 (Town Hall) regarding the potential for a Pilot Program for dogs at Weed Beach during the winter off-season. Please COME and SIT to hear the proposal and STAY to SPEAK your mind. Whether you are head over HEELS for the proposal or think we are BARKING up the wrong tree, we want to know your PAWSITION.
• Dogs accompanied by a person responsible for them shall be permitted to enter Weed Beach only during the period from November – March 31st, 2019. All other times during the year dogs are forbidden to enter any beaches.
• Dogs may be off leash provided they are under complete control of the person responsible for them at all times; otherwise dogs must be leashed.
• Persons responsible for dogs must know their whereabouts at ALL times.
• Persons responsible for dogs must clean up after them- including beach, grassy areas and parking lots. While the town will provide doggy waste bags, dog owners should always come with bags of their own in cases that the doggy waste bags are empty.
• Dogs and their owners may only utilize the area of beachfront that is to the left of the bathhouse (if looking at water from parking lot).
• Dogs must be leashed from parking lot to sand/water for safety precautions.
• Dogs are prohibited at or near the playground.
• No more than two (2) dogs may be walked by a person on the beach or any open space thereof.
• All dogs must be licensed.
• Pear Tree Beaches: No dogs are permitted except for access to the Darien Boat Club.
• These regulations shall not apply to guide or service dogs accompanying a disabled person
Being a responsible dog owner goes beyond taking care of "business." It is doing right by abiding by the rules and leaving the facility clean EVEN if this means cleaning up after others…
GOOD DOG BEACH ETIQUETTE:
Like us, dogs enjoy cool sea breezes and racing along soft stretches of sand. Many also love jumping in and out of the water or barking madly at the waves. Practicing good dog beach etiquette (and safety!) allows everyone to enjoy the shore.
At many dog beaches, the rules state that dogs need to be leashed at all times; then keep your dog on a leash.
Only allow well-trained dogs loose on off-leash beaches.
As tempting as it may be to release your dog on an off-leash beach, don’t do it unless your dog is totally under your control. That means that your dog will come back to you when called. If you know your dog isn’t under complete control of you, then a leash is required! This rule tops the list at dog-friendly beaches. In many towns, the dog beach rules also specify that only behaved, obedient, well-socialized dogs should be brought to the beach. This coastal community also requires that dogs are leashed from the car to the beach, around small children and at water fountains.
Be considerate of others.
Being allowed to take your dog on the beach is a privilege, not a right. This privilege can be revoked at any time when dog owners don’t respect other patrons. Based on an unscientific poll by DogFriendly.com, the top reason park officials gave for banning dogs from beaches was a disregard for leash laws. Once-popular dog beaches are now off-limits to pets because off-leash dogs were not under the control of their owners and bothered other people on the beach.
Scoop the poop.
According to the DogFriendly.com poll, the second most popular reason for banning dogs from beaches was because owners weren’t picking up after their dogs. This is a common complaint on beaches and in local communities and it gives all dog owners a bad name.
Many towns also have “Friends groups” that will help raise money for dog waste bags and dispensers and once a month volunteers spread out across the beach to pick up any dog waste left behind after irresponsible dog owners. When your dog poops on the beach, don’t cover it up with sand or toss it into the dunes or water. Bring along poop bags, pick up the poop and place it in the trash can or poop dispenser.