WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) – Wrightsville Beach’s Board of Aldermen will consider changes to the town’s Dogs on the Beach ordinance, including a proposal to increase the civil penalty for violations from $250 to $500.
A town working group formed in fall 2025 reviewed the ordinance and discussed several options, Town Manager Haynes Brigman wrote in a June 9 memo to the board. The group included residents, town staff, and representatives from Audubon North Carolina Society and the Sea Turtle Project.
The memo cites enforcement and public-safety challenges, including limited patrol staffing. The town issued 110 dog-related citations and warnings in 2025, according to the memo. Public works crews estimated they pick up five to 10 piles of waste daily near beach accesses and on the beach during the season when dogs are allowed…