A PETITION has been launched for “dedicated dog-friendly beaches” in summer after restrictions came into force this month.
Regulations mean that dogs need to be kept on a lead between 10.30am and 6pm until 30 September. Horses are also not allowed on beaches during these hours.
The new petition, which was lodged by Jen Salisbury and has already received more than 500 signatures, calls for Jersey to emulate Guernsey and have “dedicated dog-friendly beaches where dogs can run freely all year round and close the popular beaches to dogs 24/7 during summer months”.
A similar petition in 2019 received 1,542 signatures – petitions with over 1,000 signatures get a response from the government.
At the time, ministers responded to say: “The existing rules are fair and are reasonably generous to dog walkers. They take account of the broad range of other reasons why both residents and tourists visit Jersey’s beautiful beaches.”
A social media post from the JEP last week sparked debate online, with over 250 Islanders commenting to say whether they thought the current rules were justified.
While some argued that dog owners had before 10.30am, and after 6pm to walk their dogs on the beach without a lead, others labelled it a “dated rule”.
