VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County dog beach debate is back on the table. Under a pilot program, dogs have been allowed on a stretch of beach starting at Rockefeller Drive and ending at Andy Romano Park in Ormond Beach since November 2023.
County Leaders now have about a week to decide if they want to keep it in place permanently.
When this was being debated in 2023, county leaders said it brought historic numbers of people to the council chambers for public comment.
The county has recorded roughly 12,800 visits so far, and of those, no bites or aggressive behavior have been reported. There have been 326 incidents of dogs being off their leash and 15 incidents where owners didn’t pick up after their dogs.
Nannette Mckeel Petrella, president of Daytona Dog Beach Inc., pushed for a dog-friendly beach, and she believes the pilot program proves it can be done.
“Even if you look at people not following the rules, taking dogs off their leash or not cleaning up, if you look at the numbers, it’s less than half a percent,” said Petrella.
At one point, Ormond Beach residents created a petition against the dog beach that received hundreds of signatures to support shutting it down.
Residents we talked to said they’ve witnessed people breaking the rules.
“I just think they need to follow the rules, and it’s a lot more crowded,” said Lisa Ryan.
Launching the program took about $123,000, but leaders said regular operating costs would be much less.
Council members will vote on the dog beach next week on April 1.
There are two dog-friendly beaches in Volusia County. One at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet and another at Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach. Those parks have the same rules as the stretch in Ormond Beach.
Residents pushed for the Ormond Beach dog beach because the other locations are so far south and because they’re in parks and not as easily accessible.
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