Dog at the beach: what you need to know

Many questions arise when you want to take your

Is he authorized to access it?

To discover

• Holidays: how to keep your pet?

• True or false: fight misconceptions about the garden

Is there a risk if he bathes or is exposed to the sun?

It is important to be well informed before going to sunbathe with your canine.

Are dogs allowed on the beach?

Access to beaches for dogs (and pets, more generally) is not equal across France.

The right to take your dog to a beach is granted or denied by the municipality to which the beach is attached.

To make this decision, several criteria are taken into account: crowds, surface area, means available to the town hall to maintain the premises, local demands, etc.

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Under these conditions, the municipalities have made very disparate choices.

We thus distinguish:

• The beaches where dogs are allowed;

• Beaches where dogs are allowed if kept on a leash only;

• Beaches with reserved times for dogs;

• Beaches prohibited to dogs but having a

  “tolerated zone”

  ;

• Dog-free beaches.

We note that most cities decide to prohibit dog access to their beaches.

This is often the case in seaside resorts where the tourist influx is important.

To find out which beaches are authorized and which are prohibited, contact the town hall or the tourist office.

You can also consult the rest of this article or go to the SPA or 30 million friends website.

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What is the amount of the fine in the event of a violation?

The mayor of the municipality on which the beach depends is the only one who can authorize or prohibit access to animals.

In the event that dogs are prohibited - even on a leash - it is imperative to respect the law.

In the event of a violation, you will have to pay a fine of €11, which may be higher in certain municipalities (Hyères rose to €68 in 2021).

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Above all, it is important to properly pick up your dog's excrement as well as the waste bags, because forgetting it can cost you more than a hundred euros (4th class fine: 135€).

Which beaches are dog-friendly in 2022?

Vacationers often want to take their dog with them to the beach.

It is advisable to find out about local law beforehand, so as not to risk a fine.

Here are some examples of the decisions taken for the beaches of France (this list is not exhaustive. For a complete list, visit the SPA website):

Dog-friendly beaches

• Saint-Raphael

• Roquebrune-sur-Argens

• Sainte-Maxime

• Nice

• Grayan and the hospital

• Cabourg

• The Touquet

• Agde...

Beaches where dogs are allowed on a leash

• Frejus

• Cagnes sur mer

• Chin

• Ondres

• Saint Cyprien

• Arles

• The Porge...

Beaches forbidden to dogs

• Saint Tropez

• walking sticks

• Antibes

• Hyeres

• Toulon

• Cassis

• La Ciotat

• Marseilles

• Biarritz...

Dog at the beach: what precautions should be taken?

If you take your dog to an authorized beach, you should always keep an eye on it.

For more tranquility, choose to settle in a place relatively far from other vacationers.

This is particularly important when it is in the water: your pet must not interfere with swimmers.

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To prevent risks due to heat, choose a shady spot and place a bowl filled with water near your pitch.

Another risk: salt water.

When your dog has finished bathing, wash it with clear water and dry it, especially around the ears, to avoid potential infection.

To play in the water, take a stick or a Frisbee rather than a foam ball, which risks soaking up salt water.

Read alsoDog and swimming: is there a risk of drowning?

Finally, treat him upstream against mosquitoes to prevent bites and, above all, watch that he does not drown.

Should you put sunscreen on your dog?

Short-haired dogs are particularly sensitive to the sun.

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Dogs, like cats, can get sunburn.

The risk is very high in the middle of summer on the beach.

This is why it is advisable to protect your animal when the sun is too strong, by keeping it in the shade or by applying sunscreen to the areas not covered by the hairs or if the hairs are very short.

His nose and lips are particularly sensitive, but cream should not be applied there.

It is therefore necessary to avoid going out if the sun is at its zenith.

To note

Sunscreen intended for humans contains ingredients that are harmful to animals.

sun creams

, available in pharmacies, at the veterinarian or in pet shops.

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