With the UK gripped by a 30C plus heatwave, thousands of dog walkers will be planning to take their furry friends to the beach for a much-needed cooling off.
But pet owners visiting one seaside town could have great difficulty and even end up severely out-of-pocket.
St Ives has been branded one of the UK’s most ‘unwelcoming places for dogs’.
During peak season, the picturesque town in Cornwall bans them from four out of five beaches and hits pet owners who disobey the rules with £100 fines.
Several dog walkers have slammed local authorities on Facebook including on a group called Doggone Shame – St Ives Empty Beaches.
Jenny Shaw-Browne wrote: ‘Is St Ives becoming the most unwelcoming Cornish town to dogs and their owners?
‘Not content with banning dogs from all beaches except two small areas with difficult rock strewn or steep access and only sand at low tide, the warden is now handing out £100 fines to dog owners.
‘The beaches are empty for hours at a time.’
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Another dog owner Mandy Harrison added: ‘Try Suffolk, it’s really dog friendly. We’ve been going for the last 11 years and wouldn’t go near St Ives! Horrid place for dogs.’
Some residents were supportive of the dog beach ban, including Adrian Vranch who wrote on Facebook: ‘Not everyone loves dogs.
‘Go somewhere else to annoy people with your smelly, noisy dog there. And clear up the mess properly.’
The laws banning dogs were introduced on the beaches Porthgwidden, Porthminster, Porthmeor and Carbis Bay seven years ago by the town council.
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Councillor Tamsyn Williams said signs warn residents which beaches are dog friendly and detail the penalties for breaking the rules.
Cornwall County Council said that the public backed the dog beach restrictions in a major consultation two years ago.
Heavily reliant on its tourists trade, hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers flock to the stunning beaches in St Ives every year.