Dog Day Down the Shore

Summer’s glories might be gone, but now’s the best beach season for our four-legged friends.

Photo by Jen A. Miller.

On Tuesday, I packed up my dog Emily, and drove down to Strathmere. Emily is a Jack Russell terrier and she loves the shore, but she’s barred from just about every beach in New Jersey during the height of summer.

I can understand this. The beach is a busy place in the summer. But the degree to which dogs are banned in New Jersey is extreme: from beaches and bays to boardwalks and most resorts. I usually take Emily to Higbee Beach on the Delaware Bay side of Cape May, which, for now, is dog welcoming. But Emily likes the waves, so I look forward to fall when no one will tell me to put my dog away.

The day? Stunning. We saw a grand total of three people and one other dog. Despite the October date, the water was warm, and the sunlight reflecting off the sand made a bathing suit feasible.

So if you have a chance to take your pup to the beach, do it now before it’s too cold for both of you to paddle along the shoreline. Just don’t forget the poop bags.

Tags: South Jersey | Strathmere | dog