KURE BEACH, N.C. — Southeastern North Carolina has a new dog friendly beach.
Last month the Kure Beach town council voted to allow dogs on the beach for limited times during the summer season. Prior to the vote, which passed by a 3-2 margin, dogs were prohibited from the start of April to the end of September.
The new regulations allow dogs between the hours of 5pm and 9am. The animals must be leashed and tethered to their owner at all times. Service dogs were specifically exempt from the time restrictions
Kure Beach joins the majority of the Cape Fear region in allowing dogs on its beaches during at least some hours during the summer:
| Carolina Beach | Leashed dogs are allowed at all times at Freeman Park, and from 5pm to 9am at the Municipal Beach sites. They are banned on the boardwalk |
| Fort Fisher | Leashed dogs are allowed year-round |
| Topsail Beach | Unleashed dogs are allowed during the off season, and leashed dogs are allowed in the summer provided the leash is shorter than 20 feet. |
| Bald Head Island | Dogs must be leashed May 1 through Nov. 15. |
| Caswell Beach | Dogs can run leash free from dawn until 9 a.m. Otherwise, leashes are required during the summer. |
| Holden Beach | From May 20 until Sept. 10 – dogs aren’t allowed on the beach between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. On-leash walks are allowed at all other times. |
| Oak Island | Leashed dog can enjoy Oak Island beaches year-round. If you come in the offseason between Oct. 16 and March 15, dogs can even run off leash |
| Ocean Isle Beach | No dogs allowed on the beach strand during the summer between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Leashes required at other times. |
| Sunset Beach | Paws can’t touch the sand between Memorial Day through Labor Day from 8am until 6pm Leashes measuring less than 10 feet required for other times |
The only beach in the Cape Fear region that still has a complete ban on dogs during the peak season is Wrightsville Beach. Your best friend can only join you for a stroll in Wrightsville Beach from October 1 to March 31st, and then must be leashed at all times.
Following last month’s vote in Kure Beach the town is now working on getting new signage advertising the updated policy, along with more waste bag stations. It is estimated that the upgrades will cost the town between $3,000 to $4,000.
Prior to the vote Town Commissioner Dennis Panicalil argued that old policy needed to be amended because it was drastically different from nearby communities.
“Enforcement is an issue,” Panicalil said in the meeting. “Dog owners in Carolina Beach or Fort Fisher easily cross into Kure Beach and often don’t realize they were doing anything wrong.”
Under the new rules all of the towns on Pleasure Island will have a consistent policy regarding pets.
(We asked our friends and former clients to send pictures of their dogs on the beach. Click on this link to see a very cute photo gallery.)