Committee to sniff out dog beach issues

Gail Jordan remembers the time — she thinks it was last fall — that she saw her two dogs sitting at her window wagging their tails as they watched a Southeastern Guide Dog training on the beach near her Longboat Key home. Because her two small dogs are pets, not service animals, they were prohibited by town ordinances from going onto the beach.

“I had a hard time telling my Chihuahua and telling my teacup poodle that Southeastern wasn’t going to take them into the program,” Jordan said, drawing laughter from the audience at today’s Longboat Key Town Commission workshop.

Jordan’s dogs, along with other pets, are still not allowed on the beach, but they could be a step closer to gaining limited access. Commissioners reached consensus to establish a committee to explore the idea of giving dogs limited access to a portion of the island’s beaches and report back to the commission.

Commissioners Lynn Larson and Pat Zunz, along with resident Laurin Goldner, who, with her husband,
Nelson, suggested the idea of giving dogs limited beach access over the summer, will work to assemble the committee, which will also include members who have expressed concerns — especially those related to health issues and the impact on local wildlife.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].