16/09/2026
🐾 Beach Dog Freedom! 😊
Standard beach service has officially been resumed! 🥳
Today (16th September), the summer beach dog restrictions are officially lifted 🎉
Here is Betsy absolutely having the time of her life, reclaiming the 'forbidden' sand😆
Like many of us, I was somewhat disgruntled about the bans placed on parts of our beaches from 1st June to 15th September - especially as we all know it’s usually the humans leaving behind the mess - not the pups 🙄
But….. it turns out the seasonal ban isn’t just a council plot to ruin our beach dog walks or make a quick & easy buck from the fines.
Thanks to a couple of people who commented on one of my posts a few weeks ago I now understand the reason behind the restrictions!
They explained that the ban is a strict, non-negotiable requirement to keep our Blue Flag beach status. The rules are set internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education, (somebody’s done their research 😆) and they mandate a dog ban during the official bathing season - yes you guessed it 1st June - 15th September!
The council are actually giving us the absolute minimum restriction they are legally allowed to in order to keep Portrush’s (and all beaches) world-class Blue Flag beach status. If they cut the dates down by even a single day, the flags get taken away.
If only they just explained that to us in the first place, I think we’d all be a bit more understanding! 🤦♀️
Anyhoo - the paperwork boxes are ticked for another year, the communication wasn’t great but the beaches are officially ours again 😊Grab the lead, the tennis balls and go get those paws sandy this morning! Don’t forget the dog in your excitement 😆🐾🌊
Would LOVE to see a photo or video of your pup enjoying their first restriction-free walk today - please share in comments below 👇🐾🫶
