Do dogs have to be leashed when they’re in the water?

• 23 July 2024

The Animal Code does require dogs to be on a leash while in the water at the beach.  No exception is explicitly created by the Beach Code. 

• Under the Beach Code, the “beach” includes the land from any seawall or line of permanent vegetation and the water up to 3 miles out.  While the section of the Beach Code on animals (Section 3.02) does not include its own specific leash/restraint requirement, it does incorporate by reference the Animal Code, as amended. (St. Johns County Ordinance 92-1 is an older version of the Animal Code.) 
• Section 14.C of the Animal Code requires all animals when off its owner’s property to be leashed or restrained such that it is “under the direct control of the owner or possessor.” The only exception is for dog parks. “Direct control” is defined in Section 5.R to be “immediate and continuous physical control of an animal by means of a restraint sufficient to restrain the animal, such as a leash, code, or chain, such restraint not exceeding than 12 feet in overall length.”

Dog bites are a danger to our citizens and can cause serious injuries.  It is very subjective for an officer to decide whether it is appropriate for an individual dog to be off a leash, and an objective test such as whether the dog is leashed or not is far more practicable.