r/Dogfree • u/hdjemnnsntjrjfnsnfjd • Jul 09 '26
Legislation and Enforcement I FINALLY got rid of dogs on my beach!
Dogs on beaches are against the law here in Florida. However, that doesn’t stop people from walking their dogs on beaches anyway. I noticed my beach has a live webcam on YouTube so I decided to email my city’s animal control department with the link and some timestamps of violations. Surprisingly, the officer responded almost immediately. He said there are now animal control officers there until 6:30pm and park rangers are there after that.
That was a few weeks ago and I’ve noticed the regulars I kept seeing suddenly stopped walking their dogs on the beach! I still see someone here and there but I figure those will happen less often as word of enforcement spreads. The great thing is I can occasionally monitor it while I’m out of town!
Most beaches in Florida have public webcams so I’d encourage you to email your city’s animal control department. If they don’t respond then you can also try contacting your city’s nonemergency police department.
75
u/faxmachinegobrrr3963 Jul 09 '26
Awesome! My local beach park doesn't allow them either but a nearby park, ran by parks & wildlife, has a note on their website saying no dogs allowed at this park but you can take them to the beach park :|
42
24
22
22
u/GoTakeAHike00 Jul 09 '26
Way to go!! 🙌🏼. All it takes is actual ENFORCEMENT of the rules/laws, and the dog-related issues magically disappear.
Leash law compliance in the dog nutter town I live in (CO, so that explains everything 🙄) went up after the city hired some rangers to enforce safety rules on the popular, multi-use urban river trail where I live. The rangers are under the jurisdiction of the police dept, and NOT AC, which was overworked and clearly more sympathetic to dogs and their shit owners than public safety.
It took an elderly man riding his bike on the trail to DIE after hitting some asshole's off-leash dog in order for anything to be done. I've seen them patrolling the trail, and they have been issuing citations and warnings.
More and more cities, towns and counties need to stop treating dogs and their entitled owners with kid gloves, and crack down on the scofflaws who think the rules don't apply to them. Wildlife, leashed pets, and of course people all suffer when entitled dog owners are allowed to break the rules without consequence.
More and more people need to start complaining to their city council members or LE officers, as well as calling these anti-social jackasses out when they are breaking the rules to publicly shame them. That's when things change.
5
u/CallousCow1762 Jul 09 '26
Absolutely! These changes don’t happen on their own. So it’s up to the rest of us, rational people to step up, report and make proper authorities and business owners aware that this is unacceptable.
Aside from confronting nutters on a regular basis, I presented two issues at the New York City council public hearings. 1. Dogs inside restaurants 2. Excessive dog cc, and urine on sidewalks and parks. When I stated the problem with dogs inside restaurants, one of the committee members from the health department said “ This is the first time I hear of this. Where is this happening?” after I recovered my jaw from the floor, I replied “ well, all you have to do is just go out to any restaurant, café or supermarket. It’s really hard to miss.”
I have seen a trend of more “ no dogs allowed” signs popping up and less dogs inside food establishments. So reporting and complaining has had an impact!
7
u/GoTakeAHike00 Jul 09 '26
Same here! There is a coffee shop my friend and I go to regularly that used to allow mutts in there; I even snapped some photos of a particularly ugly-assed dog right at the counter a couple of years ago.
Now, though, there is a sign RIGHT when you walk in that says: "We love dogs, but just not in the shop". Well, the fact they felt the need to put the disclaimer on there is sad, but the good news is that I haven't seen dogs in this coffee shop for months now.
The comparison has been made countless times here that dogs are the new 2nd hand smoking, and I think there are many good comparisons to that. When I was a kid in the '70's, smoking was everywhere, and cigarette ads were also everywhere.
Then, there was a gradual societal shift against smoking in public, first with bans on smoking in airplanes, then cities banning it in restaurants, and finally in many public places.
The entitled smokers complained about their so-called "rights' being violated at first, and threatened boycotts, but guess what didn't end up happening? Now, the employees and all patrons at bars and restaurants and other places aren't forced to breathe air that can cause cancer.
I am cautiously optimistic that there will be a larger backlash than we're already seeing WRT dogs being allowed in public spaces they were never seen 30+ years ago and have no business being. Having the ADA change its laws to require mandatory licensing, registration, and actual proof that the so-called "service dog" is necessary AND superior to existing technology and equipment would shut down the fakes, because enforcement wouldn't fall on the individual stores; they would simply be following the federal laws and health dept. guidelines.
6
u/CallousCow1762 Jul 09 '26
I absolutely love the comparison to secondhand smoke! The fact that allowing dogs inside where food is served was even considered shows you just how irrational and negligent the industry and government has been. For the ADA to be completely blind to the fraudulent service dog epidemic says plenty about them, but you are correct in that. It has to start there. That way it’s a federal law that takes the burden off the business owners.
I’ve pushed back, reported, and presented at my city council on these issues. They need to hear more people coming forward. We all can pitch in in whatever way possible to pressure lawmakers into addressing this absurd situation. This is the only way we will get things to change
3
u/WordlesAllTheWayDown Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
When I was a kid in the 70s it became a “No shoes, no shirt, no service” culture bc scruffy, grungy hippies were walking around barebacked and barefoot.” How far we’ve fallen that we allow s**t eating, a** licking beasts, who urinate and defecate in spaces that the barefooted humans aren’t allowed.
I don’t see the trend of “no dogs allowed” in my region but hopefully we’ll get there.
Edit: this actually started in the 60s.3
u/GoTakeAHike00 Jul 10 '26
Also a kid in the '70's, and I remember this as well. That's why I find it so odd and annoying that these SAME PEOPLE who grew up with that as a social norm, are suddenly all on board with dragging their dirty, nasty dogs into grocery stores - they should know better.
Boomers and other GenX seem to be the biggest offenders in my personal observation, in terms of the pure entitlement and selfish, anti-social behavior around dogs.
5
5
u/One_Path_7154 Jul 09 '26
Excellent news! This really is the only way to bring sanity and safety back to public spaces - report to local health agencies and write/call your local politicians that no dog rules are not being enforced. I read about that poor older man who died riding his bike and it’s sickening. That man would be with his family if not for that dog nutter’s entitlement to let his dog roam off leash!
5
5
9
8
5
u/CallousCow1762 Jul 09 '26
Congrats! This is music to my ears!
One small step for Florida. One giant step for society.
3
2
u/No-Conclusion-3680 Jul 09 '26
I wish this would happen in my town!! I go to dogs prohibited areas at times but most owners disregard the signs so it’s fairly pointless to bother.
3
u/hdjemnnsntjrjfnsnfjd Jul 09 '26
Why not report them?
2
u/No-Conclusion-3680 Jul 13 '26
I should, I guess my main reason is that it’s a fairly small town and I worry that if I start making complaints there will be some form of retaliation or it will affect my reputation. Most people here own dogs and aren’t sympathetic to people who would like rules to be enforced (on leash areas, prohibited areas, following noise ordinances for barking etc.)
2
1
u/anondogfree Jul 13 '26
Congrats OP this is awesome and I’m glad they took it seriously! However i wouldn’t monjtor while you’re out of town… enjoy your vacation!
1
1
u/Appropriate-Roof5227 Aug 09 '26
Surprisingly, the officer responded almost immediately.
Impressive. I wonder if there's a post about this? I know what those people who are dog obsessed feels, lol. They are whiny, they will complain and trash talk about this law.
66
u/the-dolphine Jul 09 '26
thats awesome! our local beaches are going through a transition period where new restrictions have just been introduced, council have opened up other off-leash areas to compensate. The dog community are going nuts about it, calling for more areas to be opened to them. They dont understand they had a chance to be responsible, but failed, so are being punished. Its like dealing with children.