DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Over Memorial Day Weekend, thousands of people hit the beaches on the Florida coast. A local group, Daytona Dog Beach, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, would like to open a dog beach in Daytona Beach.
On April 1, the Volusia County Council voted to make the dog beach in Ormond Beach a permanent fixture.
The county launched the dog friendly initiative in November 2023 as an 18-month pilot program.
During that period, Volusia County Animal Services observed nearly 13,000 dogs enjoying the beach with their owners and received no reports of significant issues or interactions.
In early May, the Volusia County Council voted to have county staff bring back options for where a dog beach could go in Daytona Beach.
Those with Daytona Dog Beach, Inc., want to see this through.
With about 50 volunteers, they take their jobs seriously.
“My volunteers have picked up more than 6,000 pounds of trash during that 18-month pilot. So, I think what the pilot did is it proved to everybody what we felt all along that this could be successful,” Nanette McKeel Petrella, president of Daytona Dog Beach, Inc., said.
It’s currently unknown where this dog beach could go in Daytona Beach.
Nanette is keeping an eye on parking, beach access points, dog friendly businesses, and where her volunteers are located.
She knows things take time.
That’s why when the time is right, Nanette and her team will be ready.
“We’ve been patient this long, we’re going to continue to be patient,” McKeel Petrella said.
For a list of the other two dog beaches you can go to in Volusia County, visit this link.