Seaside Heights May Allow Dogs On Boardwalk Year-Round

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — People could be sharing the boardwalk with dogs this summer under a pilot program proposed in an ordinance introduced by the Seaside Heights Borough Council on Monday night.

The proposed ordinance, which is scheduled for a final hearing and vote at the May 2 Borough Council meeting, would allow dogs on the boardwalk year-round between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

Currently, dogs are only allowed on the boardwalk from Oct. 1 through Palm Sunday each year, according to the town's ordinances.

The ordinance amendment would expire Dec. 31.

Seaside Heights Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz said the idea of allowing dogs on the boardwalk was presented by one of the council members to the full council.

"The intent is to create the boardwalk as a more dog-friendly place," Vaz said. Many families travel with their dogs and local residents like to come and walk on the boardwalk as well, and dogs on the boardwalk are a common sight in the offseason.

Vaz said there is another issue that made the town consider it, however: Service dogs.

"The federal law (regarding service animals) is virtually impossible to enforce," he said.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with service animals cannot be barred from public places, including the boardwalk. Service animals are not required to wear any identifying tags, vests or other items that say they're a service animal, and the law does not allow workers to request documentation proving that an animal is a service dog, according to the ADA website.

As a result, Vaz said, people are taking advantage of the law and "more and more people are fraudulently holding out their dogs as service dogs when in fact they are not. It's very difficult for code enforcement and police officers to deal with successfully."

Dogs still will not be allowed on the beach during the summer under the ordinance, however.

Initial reports about the proposed ordinance have met with negative reactions on social media, with the bulk of the comments focused on concerns about owners not cleaning up after their dogs and people stepping in the remains with bare feet. Others pointed out that there's already any manner of unsanitary items on the boardwalk at any given time, including sea gull droppings.

What are your thoughts? Do you favor being able to walk your dog on the boardwalk in the summer? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff