Dogs – Isle of Palms

Provided by the City of Isle of Palms

The Isle of Palms City Council has approved a new dog license policy. Effective March 1, 2010, all dogs on the island must have and wear a City-issued license and a City-issued collar for the current calendar year.

Mayor Dick Cronin said, “We are lucky that dog owners on the Isle of Palms are a responsible group of people. This new policy will provide us a mechanism to track all dogs on the island, those of residents and those of visitors. Dogs that get separated from their owners now have a greater chance of being reunited.”

To obtain an Isle of Palms dog license and collar, dog owners must provide proof of current rabies vaccination. Licenses and collars may be purchased at the Public Safety Building at 30 J.C. Long Boulevard from 8AM-5PM seven days per week. The fee is $10 for property owners and those who can demonstrate Isle of Palms residency, with a driver’s license or utility bill, for example. The fee is $25 for non-residents and visitors. Contact the Police Department at 843-886-6522 for more information about purchasing a license and collar.

Prior to this change, residents were required to register their dogs and obtain a license for $2. Mayor Cronin said, “My hope is that resident and visiting dog owners will use this time before March 1 to obtain appropriate licensing.”

City Council has also recently expanded the hours that dogs are allowed on the beach without a leash, which are from 4:00PM to 10:00AM from September 15 through March 31 and 5:00AM to 8:00AM from April 1 through September 14. (See chart below)

The City provides multiple services to dog owners, including “pooper scooper” stations as beach access paths to assist in the required clean-up. An off-leash Bark Park at the Recreation Center at 24 Twenty-eighth Avenue is open every day from sunrise to sunset. All pets entering the park must obey the posted rules.

Residents and visitors may inquire about the new rules and obtain a license and collar at the City’s “Doggie Day” event at the Recreation Center from 9:00AM to 11:00AM on Saturday, February 27. Contact the Recreation Department at 843-886-8294 for more information about the award-winning Bark Park and “Doggie Day at the Rec.”

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