Ormond Beach residents ask Volusia County to close new dog beach

The Volusia County dog beach opened last November, and while one county official says it's a success, some Ormond Beach residents are calling for its closure.One Ormond Beach resident started a petition saying many pet owners are not following the rules by keeping their pets on a leash and cleaning up after them. David Schecter started the petition and is asking the city to shut down or relocate the recently opened Volusia County dog beach. Schecter is not opposed to dogs; however, he feels that people do not respect the rules in place.”Not cleaning up after their animals,” he said. “Unleashing the animals. Making it a real challenge to just go for a walk and enjoy the beach.”Schecter has since created a petition with over 200 signatures, asking the county council to consider ending the 18-month-long dog beach pilot program or even putting it elsewhere.”And the county likes to say it's only a quarter mile of beach,” said Schecter. “Okay, great. We'll go put it where there aren't as many people. Don't put it in one of the most high-traffic zones near kids and families trying to play near the Andy Romano Park.”Volusia County Council member Troy Kent said since the dog beach opened, they've had over 6,000 visitors and have only had to issue over 200 warnings for dogs off leash, two for owners not picking up after their pets.”We have animal control down there 40 hours a week during the busiest times,” said Kent. “Seven days a week to make sure that our residents and our visitors alike are complying with our rules.”But Schecter doesn't feel it's enough. “They like to cite how many dogs are using the dog zones,” said Schecter. “And well, we're not questioning that. There are several dogs there. What we're questioning is the promise in the commitment that was made when the dog zone was started to make sure that there would be animal control officers there. And what they advertised was sunrise to sunset, that there would be animal control officers there. That is not happening.”The sheriff's office said they've been out on the beach and have issued several citations over the last couple of weeks.The sheriff's office says that most people who break the rules don't know the rules that are in place, so it's just a matter of educating the public that dogs should always be on a leash and pet waste should always be picked up. “There have been no dangerous dogs,” added Kent. “There have been no dogfights at all. And there's been 100% compliance. When somebody does not have their dog on a leash, you know, we have to remember, dogs have not been allowed on the beach of Volusia County for 35 years, so there's going to be a small amount of time where we have to educate the public on our rules and our expectations. And I think we're doing a great job with that.”

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