SANTA POLA CANINE BEACH As everybody knows, we have a canine beach in Santa Pola. This is the only place of Santa Pola coast where dogs are allowed, so the access of dogs keeps strictly forbidden anywhere else, and we may be fined if we bring a dog to a

As everybody knows, we have a canine beach in Santa Pola. This is the only place of Santa Pola coast where dogs are allowed, so the access of dogs keeps strictly forbidden anywhere else, and we may be fined if we bring a dog to a non-allowed area. At Santa Pola Town Hall website we can find some important info about the canine beach, such as location and admittance rules. From the home of the website, we hit “Playas” and then “Calas”, and then “Cala dels Gossets”, which is the official name of the canine beach. The requirements for admitting a dog are: • Microchip. • European Passport. • Non-expired rabies injection. • Non-expired antiparasitic treatment. Obviously they won’t allow to access for sanitary reasons: • Dogs suffering from a contagious disease. • Females in season. • Puppies which haven’t finished their vaccination plan. Dogs belonging to potentially dangerous breeds are also welcome, but they must obey the Dangerous Dogs Act (they must be on the lead and wear a muzzle). The Town Hall performs periodic controls of water and sand quality in order to confirm the good condition of the beach, and the results are published at the Town Hall website. At the website we can also find some recommendations such as not to forget to carry some plastic bags for picking the motions up, and to make sure the dog “goes to the toilet” before entering the beach (there is a canine toilet available near the beach). Apart from Santa Pola there are other Costa Blanca towns which have created a canine beach, and the admittance requirements may vary depending on the Town Hall, so, if you wish to visit any of the Alicante canine beaches, it’s a good idea to check the local Town Hall website first. A day at the beach with a pet is normally very funny for both pet and owner, but we should be careful with fishing hooks and pieces of fish or bait, which are very attractive for dogs, which tend to swallow everything. If we thing our dog has swallowed a fishing hook, it should be taken to the Vet immediately in order to confirm by X-Ray the presence and location of the hook. If the fishing line is visible in the mouth, you should never pull, because that will increase the damage. Another thing to be careful about when taking a dog to the beach is, of course, the heat stroke: dogs usually run and play a lot at the beach, so, if they don’t get very often into the water, body temperature may rise dramatically. The dog should be obliged to have a rest very often, and, if possible, the owner should avoid the hottest moments of the day. Some dogs tend, when they are swimming, to drink sea water. If that happens, you should expect a violent diarrhea some hours later, due to the high salt concentration of sea water. Anyway, the problem usually gets solved by itself. If the diarrhea doesn’t stop and the animal starts vomiting and gets lethargic, it’s time to see the Vet. We recommend to carry a bottle of tap or mineral water in order to let the dog drink potable water and to clean their eyes of necessary. Most dogs enjoy a day at the beach, and sea water and sand are usually good for the skin, so, unless it’s completely necessary, we don’t have to shampoo the animal every time it has gone to the beach. For some extra info, just visit Santa Pola Town Hall website.

The requirements for admitting a dog are: • Microchip. • European Passport. • Non-expired rabies injection. • Non-expired antiparasitic treatment. Obviously they won’t allow to access for sanitary reasons: • Dogs suffering from a contagious disease. • Females in season. • Puppies which haven’t finished their vaccination plan. Dogs belonging to potentially dangerous breeds are also welcome, but they must obey the Dangerous Dogs Act (they must be on the lead and wear a muzzle). The Town Hall performs periodic controls of water and sand quality in order to confirm the good condition of the beach, and the results are published at the Town Hall website. At the website we can also find some recommendations such as not to forget to carry some plastic bags for picking the motions up, and to make sure the dog “goes to the toilet” before entering the beach (there is a canine toilet available near the beach). Apart from Santa Pola there are other Costa Blanca towns which have created a canine beach, and the admittance requirements may vary depending on the Town Hall, so, if you wish to visit any of the Alicante canine beaches, it’s a good idea to check the local Town Hall website first. A day at the beach with a pet is normally very funny for both pet and owner, but we should be careful with fishing hooks and pieces of fish or bait, which are very attractive for dogs, which tend to swallow everything. If we thing our dog has swallowed a fishing hook, it should be taken to the Vet immediately in order to confirm by X-Ray the presence and location of the hook. If the fishing line is visible in the mouth, you should never pull, because that will increase the damage. Another thing to be careful about when taking a dog to the beach is, of course, the heat stroke: dogs usually run and play a lot at the beach, so, if they don’t get very often into the water, body temperature may rise dramatically. The dog should be obliged to have a rest very often, and, if possible, the owner should avoid the hottest moments of the day. Some dogs tend, when they are swimming, to drink sea water. If that happens, you should expect a violent diarrhea some hours later, due to the high salt concentration of sea water. Anyway, the problem usually gets solved by itself. If the diarrhea doesn’t stop and the animal starts vomiting and gets lethargic, it’s time to see the Vet. We recommend to carry a bottle of tap or mineral water in order to let the dog drink potable water and to clean their eyes of necessary. Most dogs enjoy a day at the beach, and sea water and sand are usually good for the skin, so, unless it’s completely necessary, we don’t have to shampoo the animal every time it has gone to the beach. For some extra info, just visit Santa Pola Town Hall website.