VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A group of residents is pushing to end a pilot program that allows dogs on parts of the beach in Ormond Beach, setting up a battle of petitions on opposite sides of the issue. 

The Volusia County Council launched the Dogs on the Beach Pilot Program on Nov. 1, after receiving public input. The program allows dogs on the half-mile stretch of beach from Rockefeller Drive to Milsap Road in Ormond Beach.

But on March 9, Ormond Beach resident David Schecter started a petition calling for an end to the pilot program, citing safety concerns, owners not picking up after their dogs, as well as dogs outside the designated zone where they are allowed.

“We have great concerns that someone's going to get hurt, that some irresponsible dog owner is going to be in a situation where their dog hurt someone. It bites a child. It bites an elderly person," Schecter said. "No one should have to use the beach and worry about the dogs.”

For resident Nanette McKeel Petrella, bringing her dog Delilah to the beach on a hot summer day is something she has enjoyed since the county approved the 18-month pilot.  

“Many people wanted to walk their dogs on the beach. And we do see quite a few that like to come either early in the morning or later in the day — obviously, when it's cooler, at least in the summer months, and they walk the beach with their dog." said McKeel Petrella, the president of Daytona Dog Beach Inc. "So, it's giving them exercise, giving their dogs exercise. Sometimes they're doing that before they go to work.”

Schecter's petition asks the county and law enforcement to enforce the rules about dogs on the beach.

“At this point, we're trying to do two things," Schecter said. "No. 1, get the county to just enforce the rules that they already have on the books about no animals on the beach, which they have failed to do. And then No. 2, they have failed to enforce the rules of their own dog zone.”

McKeel Petrella, whose organization works with community partners to promote, support and educate the public about dog friendly beaches in the Greater Daytona Beach area of Volusia County, said she was surprised when she learned about the petition.

“My initial feeling was just disappointment, frustration,” she said.

During her time volunteering, the organization has collected data for the county about the pilot program, and despite some infractions, most of the owners follow the rules in place, McKeel Petrella said.

At the May 7 Ormond Beach City Commission meeting, Volusia County council member Troy Kent presented statistics to the commissioners citing the number of citations issued during the pilot program.

Over the past four months, staff has counted 6,223 dogs at the beach, Kent said. According to the county, 204 warnings for leash violations and two warnings for waste disposal were issued in the designated area from Jan. 1 to April 30. All individuals promptly complied with these warnings, he said.

“Nothing to the point where it would cause this person to act in this manner or to cause the county to stop this pilot program," McKeel Petrella said. "A lot of us are enjoying it, are doing the right things, are supporting it. We should not be denied the right to use 1/10 of the Volusia County beaches that we pay taxes to support.”

Schecter said he would like the county to put the dog beach in another place.

“So, we're not anti-dog zone," he said. "We just don't think it should be in one of the most congested areas on the beach.”

He added that opponents of the pilot program plan to reach out to Ormond Beach officials, seeking commissioners' support to end the program.

“Our plan is very specific. We will be going to the Ormond City Commission, and we will be asking our local officials in Ormond Beach to write the county and get out of this agreement,” Schecter said.

In the meantime, McKeel Petrella said Daytona Dog Beach Inc. has started another petition supporting continuation of the pilot program in order to hear from people on the issue. 

“We just ask that this be allowed to play itself out. Stick to the facts, not fiction and, you know, and bring parties together again. We're willing to listen," McKeel Petrella said. "What are your concerns? What could we do to potentially ease your concerns or eliminate them? You know, we are all in this together. We all live here.” 

So far, the petition to stop the Dogs on the Beach program has received 257 signatures, while the petition for supporters of the program has more than 900 signatures.