Did you know there is a Pompano Beach city ordinance that bans dogs from all city parks? This includes dogs walked on leashes too!

90.06 ANIMALS PROHIBITED IN CERTAIN PLACES.
(A) No person owning or having charge, care, custody, or control of any animal shall cause, permit, or allow the animal into or on any public park or beach, the area commonly known as the beach parking lot, the east side of Pompano Beach Boulevard, the parking lot at the foot of Atlantic Boulevard, all public beach access areas and their designated rights-of-way, the park area of the Alsdorf Boat Launching Park, or any city maintained area that is posted as prohibited to animals. However, this provision shall not apply to park areas in which animals are specifically authorized as posted. Non compliance with the above shall be deemed a violation of this section.

In addition to our city not having an off leash dog park, we are not allowed to enjoy any of the city’s 48 parks with our companion dogs! Dog owners are tax payers as well and are entitled to enjoy the parks that we are paying for.

The city of Pompano Beach needs to change its attitude towards dogs & dog owners and become a more dog friendly place for us to live. This unfair ordinance has to change! The Pompano Dog Pack needs your help.

Smaller & less prestigious cities have answered the needs of the dog owning citizens in their communities and built leash free dog parks. Wilton Manors, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, to name just a few. A dog park in our city would be part of the county wide movement towards responsible urban animal management. Leashed dogs are allowed in most of the county parks, but there are no county parks in the city limits of Pompano Beach.

Dogs that are allowed to exercise off leash – running with other dogs, catching a ball, chasing a Frisbee, or working at obedience training are happier healthier dogs. Access to a public park close to home is the most effective way to insure that dog owners exercise and socialize their dogs, making them better neighbors and members of our growing community. Since almost all of the new residential building that is going on in Pompano is town homes without fenced yards the need for a designated dog park and a change to the anti dog ordinance has become even more pressing!

It is estimated that over 1/3 of households have at least 1 dog for a pet. As the city grows, so grows the population of dogs living within the city limits. Dog owners are a substantial part of the population that uses the city parks. Dog owners are as legitimate as any other special interest group, and their needs should be taken as an integral part of the city’s decision making process.