Dogs on the Beach at Sullivan’s Island

Pet friendly Sullivan’s Island just got even more pet friendly, it’s winter season again on the beach, bringing with it 24/7 access for your dog, and 7 off leash hours.

October 1st – April 30th
Off Leash: 5:00am to Noon
On Leash: Noon to 5:00am

May 1st – September 30th
Off leash: 5:00am to 10:00am
No Dogs: 10:00am to 6:00pm
On Leash: 6:00pm to 5:00am

 

Dog Permit

Whether you are a visitor or a resident you must get an annual Sullivan’s Island Dog Permit for $35 ($25 for residents) which you can get from the town hall. They’ll only give you one if you sign a notarized  affidavit saying you have insurance against dog bites (check your homeowners policy, it may provide coverage). You’ll also need a Rabies certificate from your Vet (you should have been given this when your pet was last vaccinated) – your vet issued rabies tag is not sufficient. For further information on the dog permit visit : http://www.sullivansisland-sc.com/faqs.aspx

Sullivan’s Island is Dog friendly; it can be difficult balancing the needs of general tourism, and those of tourists and locals alike with dogs. Sullivan’s Island strikes a much better balance when compared to most other areas – in fact, wide swathes of Florida’s beaches are now completely off limits to pet owners, day or night, leashed or free.

Some may argue that all these requirements and fees are overbearing by the town – but once you go to Sullivans Island you will realize that it’s all for the best. They do a great job keeping the beach clean and safe for everyone – and there’s a very well stocked supply of doggie waste bags for owners to clean up after themselves. With so many beaches nationwide becoming completely offlimits to even leashed animals, Sullivans Island is a rare blessing in that it even has off leash hours.