By Sarah Stover and Michelle Gentile
PALM BEACH COUNTY -Life is no day at the beach for dogs in Florida, but a group led by a local veterinarian is trying to change that.
A Palm Beach County ordinance states that dogs are not allowed on area beaches, unless they are service dogs for the disabled or K-9s on patrol.
Dogs are allowed in county parks, but must be on a 6-inch leash and cannot go to any beaches within the parks. Some areas in the county do allow dogs on the beach, but they are owned by municipalities, such as Jupiter, which has a dog-friendly area on its beach.
People, such as John Pacy, who runs Healthy Pets Housecalls in Boynton Beach, believe dogs should be as welcome on the beaches as people.
Dr. Pacy, and those who commiserate with him, have formed the political action committee Beaches Are For K-9s too, or B.A.R.K. The group is proposing changes to the county's ordinance that would allow dogs to be on at least 25 percent of the current 49 miles of beach in Palm Beach County, including beaches in county-owned parks, if certain criteria is established and followed.
There are currently 15 beach parks in Palm Beach County. Three are in Jupiter, one is in Tequesta, two are in Juno Beach and three are in Riviera Beach, according to information on the county's Parks and Recreation Department's Web page.
"I want to point out, that that still leaves a lot of beaches for people who don't like being around dogs," said Dr. Pacy.
Members of B.A.R.K. are currently collecting signatures to get their petition in front of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners.
Calls to Commissioner Karen Marcus, who represents northern Palm Beach County, for comment were not returned by press time.
This battle over beaches where furry, four-legged companions can romp with their masters really began when a change occurred in Boynton Beach.
Dr. Pacy had taken his dog, Nikki6, to Pelican Beach for 10 years, and people started to complain about people bringing their dogs to the beach, he said.
Dog owners who had taken their dogs to that beach asked county commissioners to set up a different beach for dogs, but when the issue went before the commission in 2004, the board ruled against letting dogs on the beach, said Dr. Pacy, who adds that this effort is not an attempt to open that area back up for dogs.
B.A.R.K. members have worked out details for a feasible plan if their amendments pass.
Among the proposed amendments, only dogs whose owners had purchased a license from the county for them to be beach dogs would be allowed on the sand, and owners would be responsible for picking up after their pets, as well as showing proof of annual fecal testing and other treatments for the animals.
Although he does not have a specific cost in mind, and has not talked with county officials about it yet, Dr. Pacy has gone over the amendments with his attorney, who suggested adding "for a reasonable fee" to the area about the licenses, said Dr. Pacy.
The proposed amendments also say that the Palm Beach County division of Animal Care and Control would establish the rules for and issue the licenses.
The committee could take a page from the Friends of Jupiter Beach's book.
Historically, the 2.5 mile- stretch of beach in Jupiter where dogs are allowed wasn't created as a dog beach, because most beaches around the county were, at one time, dog friendly. In the 1990s discussions came up about not allowing pets on the beach and a handful of people who were avid beachgoers wanted to prevent that from happening.
That group was Friends of Jupiter Beach. They had a groundswell of local support, pulled together some money and approached Town of Jupiter officials.
"We are committed to preserving our right to have our dogs on the beach," said Lynne Gibbons, managing director of Friends of Jupiter Beach.
"We made a promise to the town that Friends of Jupiter Beach would pay for and make available dog waste pick-up bags, we would provide education to dog owners on responsible education and we would every month hold a beach cleanup."
They got their way. The cross-overs, numbered 2-24, from Jupiter to Juno Beach, which go from south to north, make up the area that is considered "dog friendly."
In return, the Friends have kept their part of the bargain.
"Every single month we clean from south of the Juno Beach Pier to just north of the Carlin Park," said Ms. Gibbons.
A group of about 150 volunteers clean for about an hour and a half, removing between 500 to 650 pounds of garbage every month. They have collectively cleanedup more than 10,000 cumulative pounds in the last 18 months. Although some people were skeptical that dogs might cause a mess, ironically they are not the problem.
"Dogs don't leave behind beer bottles, broken chairs and hygene items," said Ms. Gibbons. "It's mostly human trash that we are cleaning up."
She advises B.A.R.K. and similar groups to follow their lead.
"If someone is trying to establish a dog-friendly beach, they should consider throwing a bone...offer to clean up the beaches, educate the public on how to be responsible dog owners and provide cleanup utensils, such as bags and dispensers," she said.
"We have a great relationship with the town and the county for that matter, and we consider having this beach a privilege," she said.
While B.A.R.K.'s mission is plausible, many people are against it. Mainly it's those who are against having dogs on the beach or anywhere else period, said Dr. Pacy.
Sanitary reasons and possible injuries to humans or other dogs are the objections he's heard.
"People say it is unsafe, but I would like point out there's not one activity currently (done) in the water that isn't unsafe. Every year there are deaths from boating, scuba and swimming accidents," said Dr. Pacy.
Others have voiced concern about getting bitten by dogs. He thinks it's a moot point since people could be bitten by dogs anywhere else in the county. Still others have raised concerns about dogs hurting each other or getting hurt while at the beach.
"There's no Utopia. If a person wants to take their dog to the beach, they have to accept they can get bitten by a shark or jellyfish or hurt by another dog," said Dr. Pacy.
The Friends of Jupiter Beach have faced similar issues.
"There are still people today who would prefer the dogs not be there. We aren't able to talk to every single dog owner and there are people who don't act responsibly," said Ms. Gibbons.
"(They) let (their dog) run over someone, (or do not) clean up after their pets, but those people are usually one-time visitors and not members of our organization. Our goal is to spread the word people need to cleanup and be responsible. We know this is a privilege and not a right, and could be taken away at any time," she said.
While some are against it, others still try to bring their dogs to non dog-friendly beaches.
"It is an ongoing issue (here). People either don't see the signs, or just decide to bring their dogs on the beach anyway," said Juno Beach Police Chief Skip Clark.
The signs stating no dogs allowed are posted at all beach access points, he said.
Despite the signs, and the fact that, in addition to the county's ordinance, the town has an ordinance banning animals from the beach, the police department still gets at least a couple calls every weekend, said Chief Clark.
When visitors or residents are spotted with animals on the beach, they are given a warning, and that usually keeps them from returning, he said.
Dr. Pacy and B.A.R.K. supporters are not going away without a fight. There is still a lot of work to be done before the petition goes in front of the commissioners, if it does. The group must collect signatures from at least 7 percent of the people who were registered to vote in last general election, which means the members have approximately 56,000 signatures to collect, said Dr. Pacy.
They started collecting signatures after Thanksgiving, and although he has not counted them yet, Dr. Pacy estimates they probably already have a few thousand.
B.A.R.K. members are also working on raising $10,000, which will help them spread the word about B.A.R.K. The committee was established and paid for out of a few of the main participants' own pockets, he said.
The group needs funding for printing costs for petitions, flyers and other informative materials, as well as the cost of having the Supervisor of Elections office review the signatures, which is 10 cents per signature, said Dr. Pacy.
If enough signatures are verified, the petition will make it in front of the commission. If the commission then votes against it, it will go on the following general election as a referendum for the people to vote on it.
For more information visit www.bark2pac.org.