By: Quezia Salgado
Earlier this fall the Recreational Services committee of Boca Raton went to City Hall with a proposal for a pilot project of a Dog beach. After working on the project for a couple of months, deciding the location and other important details, it is ready to be unveiled. On December 13th the first ever Dog beach is coming to Boca. Cities like Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter already have specific spots on their beaches where canines can roam freely, and it was time for Boca to follow suit.
Michael Woika, the city’s Assistant Manager told the Tribune there was some debate in regards to what area would be best suited for the Dog beach. “It was between the area North of Palmetto Park Road or South of Spanish River Blvd.” One of the key items in settling the issue was parking, so a decision was made for the Dog beach to be located just south of Spanish River Blvd., right before reaching Spanish River Park. Another factor in choosing this spot was the fact that this area is one of the least populated, making it more suitable for residents to walk their dogs, decreasing the risk of getting in the way of sun tanners.
The opening of the Dog beach is a response to the requests of many dog owners who wanted to have a place on the beach where they could legally bring their canines, and not have to drive to Fort Lauderdale or Jupiter to do so. According to Woika, the feedback from residents has been mixed. Some people like John Maffia, who owns two yorkies, say: “I think it’s a great idea for pet owners to be able to bring their dogs to the beach.” Tainara Maciel joins in on the chorus with John: “How cool! Now I’ll be able to take Fred to the beach.” On the other hand, some residents believe that dog owners won’t actually follow the rules of cleaning up after their pets, increasing the amount of waste left on the sand and water. All in all, as Woika said: “This is part of a pilot project; we’re going to try it out for some time and see if it works out.”
Permits for the Dog beach will be available at the Community Center, starting on December 11th, along with the rules and regulations to be followed. The initial costs for the permits are: $30/year for Boca residents, $60/year for non-residents and $10 for the weekend. These prices are still up for debate and will be finalized before the opening of the beach. The beach will be open for dogs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7-9:00a.m., and 3:00p.m. to dusk during regular time, and 5:00p.m. to dusk during daylight savings hours in the Summer. In the mean time, pet owners can celebrate the fact that their dogs will now have a beach of their own, at least for a few days a week.