Tybee Island’s beach rules could be temporarily relaxed under a dog-beach pilot the city council is scheduled to consider Thursday. The proposal would allow registered dogs in a designated area from the pier to Inlet Avenue, between dawn and dusk, beginning Nov. 15 and continuing through February 2027. Registration would be free.
The council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Tybee Island Public Safety Building, 78 Van Horne Ave. Dogs are currently prohibited on Tybee beaches except for service animals; the proposed pilot would temporarily suspend enforcement of that rule for permitted dogs in the designated area.
Proposed conditions require handlers to keep dogs leashed and controlled, limit each handler to one dog, carry waste bags, avoid dunes, vegetated habitat and wildlife, and self-certify that dogs are vaccinated against rabies.
The agenda says the pilot would be suspended in any affected area if beach renourishment begins. If the pilot expires, the existing dog prohibition would again be enforced. City officials say the trial would help evaluate compliance, waste, wildlife interactions, public safety and costs before the city considers any future policy change.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
