Evanston’s dog beach, located north of the Church Street boat launch facility, opens for the 2009 season on Friday, May 1.
The dog beach will remain open through October 31. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All dogs using the beach must have a pass. Fees for a 2009 dog beach pass are $50 per dog owned by an Evanston resident and $100 per dog owned by a nonresident.
Applications for dog beach passes as well as the rules and regulations are available at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., or on the City website.
Before obtaining a dog beach pass, owners must show written proof that their dogs are current on their vaccinations and have been examined within the past year for any communicable diseases. In addition, dogs must be licensed in Evanston or the town where the dog lives. For more information, call 847-866-2900.
Don’t mind paying but
I find the recent ‘no kids’ rule super annoying. Am I supposed to get a babysitter to take my dog to the beach?
Kids love dogs..
Last week at our dog park, an 8 year old boy was nicely greeting and talking to every dog coming into the park. It was really sweet.
The more dogs and children interact, the more they will be used to each other and pose less threat. For centuries, dogs and children have bonded. Modern society is creating neurotic dogs and children and increasing the danger by keeping them apart! Aggressive dogs don’t belong at a dog park.. but socialization makes dogs mellow. Parents bringing kids to the dog park are generally sophisticated enough to avoid problems..
RE: Don’t mind paying but…
The rule for no children under 10 is for their own safety. This can be an action filled spot (with all sizes, types and temperments of dogs) and small children could be at risk of getting run over, knocked down, or possibly even unintentionally bit if going after a toy or stick.
Which should probably be the parents fault
Which should fall on the parents. If you bring you young child to the dog beach, watch them. If they get run over, it’s your fault as a parent. End of story.
Perhaps there should be an medical exam
for all humans before they go to the beach? The elderly could sure be run over, knocked down or worse. Or an unusually short person. Or someone with a physical disability. Or …
Big Brother at the Doggie Beach
I get it that babies and toddlers are at risk when their parents spread them out on a blanket in the sand with colorful toys that are attractive to dogs, but the majority of dog beach users have more sense than that. Bringing children along should be at the dog owner’s/parent’s discretion. You sign a waiver to go onto the dog beach anyway – it could include language about your minor child as well. I have two small dogs, and care for an additional one during the weekdays, and this will be the third straight summer of my dogs missing out on the beach because of the two-dogs-max rule and the no-kids rule, the imposition of which I observed has given some beach users license for hostility and judgment, because after all the city is being hostile and judgmental. So what used to be a casual meetup place for dogs and their owners is now a militant, fraught situation.
Big Brother?
No, it is not about big brother, and it is not about. It is about rules following said rules for the safety of everyone.
Two dogs is manageable for a responsible owner. Three dogs is not especially when at times there are two dozen dogs on the beach.
Evanston has many beaches. The dog beach is not a place for infants and small children. What if everyone decided to bring their child with their dog to the dog beach? Regardless of waivers and releases, god forbid anything should happen to a child at the dog beach. It is not a place for children.
The dog beach is for dogs and responsible owners. The rules are in place to protect all of us and our pets.
They are not in place to specifically impinge upon your views and preferences.
We should embrace and be thankful we have this amenity, rather than criticize it. To me, it is one of the most valuable purchases for me during the year.
Just ridiculous…
We pay HUGE taxes to live in a city that wants more revenue for vehicles, pet registration, beach passes, dog beach passes, etc, etc, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love Evanston and will never move, but this is just getting ridiculous. My daughter is 6 now and has been going to the dog beach since birth – she has been knocked over plenty of times by our dogs and others and landed on soft sand. It is a choice to go to the dog beach and we all deal with the benefits and deficits of our choices.
P.S. We reside with an unregistered house cat – I hope the Evanston PD doesn’t do a house-to-house search!
Speak for Yourself, Not for Me
Hi, Dan. Many of us don’t have the luxury of first hanging out at the dog beach, then going home to switch crews, then off to the people beach. So we enjoy making it a family outing, with the kids (who are neither infants nor particularly small) AND the dogs wading out to the sand bars, chasing balls together, etc. We have little dogs and so spend time at the two ends of the beach, not in the middle with all the retrievers and labs. Yes, we’ve gotten knocked down, kids and adults alike. See, here’s the thing: We ARE responsible and know how to strategize and work the situation, and we stay out of trouble. And these three dogs are totally manageable: they stick close to us and don’t particularly engage with the other dogs. They love the water and the freedom.
Not criticizing the amenity at all. Would love to embrace it, but can’t . . . because of the rules.
I Get It… But
I know you are responsible with your kids and dogs and strategize.
But, lets be honest, can you control the actions of other’s dogs?
We have no guarantee that while you are responsible, that every dog owner on the beach is responsible… or lets just say attentive. And that every dog on the beach is friendly, especially to children, etc.
My intentions are not to be mean – just to express concern for the children. That is all.
Believe me, I understand your frustration.
Evanston Dog Beach Ridiculous
Australia allows both children and dogs on certain beaches.
There is only one rule… pick up after your dog.
There are no permits or fees.
I was saddened when I saw the 50 rules posted on the sign at Evanston Beach. Americans lose their freedoms on a daily basis… and become slaves to rules and taxes.
If your dog is a visitor from another state, you must pay $100 to visit the Evanston beach with your dog.
These rules destroy the quality of American life.
Americans lose their freedoms on a daily basis
“I was saddened when I saw the 50 rules posted on the sign at Evanston Beach. Americans lose their freedoms on a daily basis… and become slaves to rules and taxes.”
I suppose it is all Obama’s fault…part of his evil communist-Muslim scheme to enslave America.
I don’t know about any sign on the beach with 50 rules, but I have posted the rules for Evanston’s Dog Beach (obtained from this site ) .
Which of the following rules do you consider an abridgment of your freedoms? The rule against glass containers? The rule against female dogs in heat?
Beach Rules and Regulations:
1. Dog owners/handlers will be solely responsible for the actions of their dog(s). Owners/handlers must be in voice control
of their dog(s) and be present on the beach with their dog(s).
2. Owners/handlers must have visual contact of their dog(s) and keep their dog leash with them at all times. If aggressive
behavior is observed in a dog, it must be leashed immediately and removed from the Dog Beach.
3. Owners/handlers will closely supervise their dog(s) and at no time leave the Dog Beach without his/her dog(s).
4. Owners/handlers will be responsible for closing all gates as they enter and leave the Dog Beach.
5. Owners are legally responsible for their dog(s) and any injury or damages caused by their dog(s). This means owners are
legally and financially responsible for their dog’s behavior. The City of Evanston has NO liability or responsibility for
injuries that may occur on the Dog Beach.
6. Dog owners/handlers will be required to pick up dog feces and dispose of it in the waste receptacles located at the gate.
7. Owners/handlers must wear/have visible their Evanston Dog Beach Pass to enter the beach and while on the beach.
8. Owners/handlers must show their dog beach pass/passes to the attendant as they enter and leave the beach.
City staff reserves the right to inspect your dog pass.
9. Dogs must wear a current State Health Department license tag and be up-to-date on rabies, distemper, hepatitis,
parvovirus and bordetella shots and have had current stool sample test for internal parasites.
10. Dogs that are ill are not allowed on the Dog Beach.
11. Female dogs in heat are not allowed on the Dog Beach.
12. Dogs will not be allowed to dig holes in the sand. Owners must fill in any holes immediately
13. Dogs must be on leash in the park, parking lot and walkway leading to the Dog Beach.
14. No more then two (2) dogs per person will be allowed on any one visit.
15. For safety reasons, children must be over 50 inches tall (or age 10+) and supervised by an adult to be on the Beach.
16. Children will be expected to behave in an appropriate manner while on the beach. This includes no running, no chasing
dogs, no petting other dogs unless permission is granted by that dog’s owner and no swimming.
17. By city ordinance, alcohol is not allowed in any City park; this includes the Dog Beach.
18. No food will be allowed on the Dog Beach.
19. No glass containers are allowed on the Dog Beach.
20. Sunbathing is prohibited; no chairs, beach towels or blankets are allowed on the Dog Beach.
21. Owners/handlers/guests with dogs may enter the water to their knees and no further.
22. All complaints must be filed with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department in writing. Forms will be
available with the attendant at the gate, at the Clark Street Beach Office and at the Dempster Street Beach Office.
23. If three (3) complaints are registered regarding aggressive behavior of a dog or non-adherence to rules by the dog’s
owner, the owner’s dog beach pass/passes may be revoked (no refund). All incidents will be reviewed on a case-by-case
basis.
24. For all serious biting, dog attacks or disputes, an Evanston Police report should be filed by the dog owner.
25. The City Manager or a designee may open or close the Dog Beach pursuant to subsection 7-11-4 of the City Code.
Typical of Over priced Evanston
Greets,
First of all I would like to clear the air here. I was born and raised in Michigan so I do get confused upon the excessive charges and confused at where the revenues exactly go. My company moved me to the Chicagoland area and I must confess I rue the day I said yes to it. You guessed it still trying to back to Michigan currently due to the ye’ old Evanstan style of price gouged living. I have had 2 pick pocket attempts and 2 what I will assume to be aborted muggings. Not to bore anyone here with the rediculous crimes that happen in this city to no change meanwhile their is an enforced empasis on my quarter in the meter downtown taking preceedents over my safety. Anyway…
I do not exactly know being a fmr. Michigander and using a wealth of FREE beach time with myself and pet ect. on the Michigan side of Lake Michigan. (Side note: It never closes due to e. coli/samonella (sp?) parts per millionth exceptions.) I do not exactly know why ,beit what poor shape Evanstons beach front exactly is, charge for it? For myself and the pet I can’t own (just try finding an apt with parking that is dog friendly that isnt in a crime ridden area or has santitization amentities of this century.)
You do raise one point with
You do raise one point with which I agree completely: If there is a single municipality in the state of Michigan that charges to use a Great Lakes beach (and Michigan has far more miles of shoreline than any other state), I am unaware of it. The North Shore notion that the lake–our cherished resource– is available only to those who pay (and pay through the nose–$30 or more to bring a family to the beach for a few hours?!?!?) is ridiculous in my opinion.