DEWEY BEACH, Del. - The town says Dewey Beach is one few east coast beaches to allow people to bring their dogs and take them off of their leashes, but dogs must be under control and their owners must have a dog license. If you don't have a dog license when you get onto Dewey Beach, one code enforcement ambassador is making it easier to buy them.
Vince Carannande has been a code enforcement ambassador for six years, picking up debris and filing in holes.
"I also check the general condition of the beach," Carannande says. "If they had any fires from the night previously, I check them out."
This year people started calling him the "Dog Ambassador."
Now he doesn't just make sure the dogs have permits, he makes sure they have treats too!
"There's been times when Vince hasn't been here and I get calls to the office and people say we want to know where Vince is, we didn't see him on the beach, and I say I'm so sorry he had the day off," says Code Enforcement Director Merle Leonard.
Leonard says Vince makes people happy to follow the rules, especially since the town bought a green gator for the department.
"There wasn't a real good convenient way to give dog tags out to people who came into town, so by being on the beach and being visible and being able to go up and down the whole beach, I think it was a great thing for us to spend money on," says Commissioner Paul Bauer.
Vince also reminds people to pick up after their dogs.
"The dogs have to be off the beach by 9:30 in the morning and they can't come back until approximately 5:15 in the afternoon, so Vince is down here educating the folks, making sure they're aware of that," says Town Manager Bill Zolper. "We also have a handout that we've made this year on the dog rules for Dewey that can be picked up at any of the hotels or at town hall."
The town's rules and Dog Ambassador help keep Dewey Beach dog friendly and clean.
"As far as I'm concerned, my title is Vince," Carannande says.
As long as the weather is warm, you can find Vince on Dewey Beach seven days a week until about 9:30, making sure all of the dogs have ended their beach day.