SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Officials are having second thoughts about a plan that would have allowed people to bring their leashed dogs onto the boardwalk between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. this summer.

An ordinance was to have been finalized next week at the Borough Council meeting, but according to Mayor Anthony Vaz, it will probably be tabled because a lot of people don’t think this is a good idea.

“We received numerous correspondence, either by phone, by text messages, community members coming up to us and so forth,” he said.

"I’m recommending we not go forward because of concerns about health, safety, our crowds in the summer. We’ve had people that love dogs — love dogs — telling us this is not appropriate with the amount of crowds that we have in the summer.”

The mayor noted having dogs on the boardwalk could cause biting issues if the canines get nervous. Not to mention some very stinky problems.

“Certain dog lovers are great: They pick up after their dogs. Certain ones don’t. So how do we enforce it?"

Vaz pointed out even if people were allowed to take their dogs on the boardwalk, “they can’t take their dogs off a leash and say I want to go into a restaurant and eat something because they’re not allowed in restaurants.”

Service dogs would still be allowed.

Vas said he reached other beachfront community mayors to get feedback, and none of them permit dogs on the boardwalk in the summer.

He noted the borough already has an ordinance on the books that allows dogs on the beach from October till the week before Palm Sunday

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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