Calls in Jersey for dog-friendly beaches all year

The States has rejected calls to relax the rules in the past

A petition has been launched for "dedicated dog-friendly" beaches year-round in Jersey after the summer restrictions came into force this month.

Currently, if you take a dog on any of Jersey’s beaches from 1 May to 30 September, between 10:30-18:00 BST, they must be on a lead.

But some people said they felt the rules should be more relaxed to allow dogs on some beaches, or make the rules more dog-friendly.

Jersey's government has rejected calls to relax the rules in the past, but said it would welcome the discussion again should enough people call for it.

Dogs must be kept on a lead between 10:30-18:00 during the summer

Dog owner Sally Minty-Gravett said it was time for change and common sense should be used.

She said: "If it's not a nice day and there is nobody on the beach, why can't we just run with our dogs for an hour?"

Another idea, petitioned by Jen Salisbury, was to have "dedicated dog-friendly beaches" throughout the summer months.

It has more than 500 signatures so far. If it reaches 1,000, ministers will have to respond.

In Guernsey, the rules are more relaxed and dogs are allowed on some stretches of sand, while others are out of bounds.

In Guernsey, the rules are more relaxed and dogs are allowed on some stretches of sand

Staff at Spotted Wellies, a Jersey dog-walking company, said they were happy with the existing setup, saying it allowed for a quieter environment "beneficial for birds and wildlife".

They also said creating dedicated dog-friendly beaches for the summer "could bring challenges".

"It might lead to overcrowding and potential safety concerns due to the large amount of off-lead dogs in one area," they said.

The company said that extending off-lead hours until midday could potentially be beneficial to dog owners, providing them with more off-lead time with their dogs.

Chairman of the Constables Committee Mike Jackson said the rules had been in place since the days of a "bigger tourism industry" in the island and that it was important for a "balance to be struck" to allow all beach-users to benefit.

"Not everyone likes having a big dog jump up on them," he said.

The States previously rejected calls to relax the rules when a similar petition was lodged in 2019, but Mr Jackson said it could be looked at again if there was enough support to do so.