DEWEY BEACH, Del- Dewey Beach prides itself on being a dog friendly and welcoming beach, but concerns regarding dog feces have been raised by both visitors and Dewey Beach Patrol.
Dewey Beach Patrol said in their 2026 Statistic Report that “Dog feces accumulations on the facility have increased exponentially in conjunction with usage… and urination on people and property occurrences have been witnessed consistently.”
Town Manager of Dewey Beach, Bill Zolper, said things like this can be expected to happen, but does not excuse leaving the droppings.
“And when you have approximately 5000 dogs on the beach during the summer, there are going to be some folks that don't clean up after their dogs, whether they're not paying attention or whether they just miss it.”
Dublin and Evie enjoying Dewey Beach.
Mr and Mrs. Ritchie, dog parents to Dublin and Evie, visit Dewey Beach all the way from the Poconos and expressed their thoughts on the matter. Mr Ritchie said “There's some lazy people out there, but it doesn't take away from the beautiful city of Dewey Beach.”
Town Manager Zolper says the town provides bags for easy clean up. “The town has free dog bags at every one of the dune crossings. We have 21 dune crossings. We have 21 stations for dog bags. When you buy a beach dog license that helps pay for those dog bags.”
Zolper says when locals and visitors buy beach dog licenses, the money spent on the license helps the town pay for the bags.
The town expressed the importance of buying dog licenses and always keeping a close eye your dog while they enjoy the beach.
