Dog beach

Goderich's dog beach lets pooches have fun too

Huron County has always been very animal-friendly, but about five years ago, Goderich officially went to the dogs.

Goderich’s greatest tourism asset, its Lake Huron shore, began welcoming dogs, officially to walk, run and even swim out in the water, while keeping parts of the beach just for humans as well.
While the county currently plays host to one of the biggest dog shows in the area, the Bluewater Kennel Club’s All Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial, every year in Blyth, it’s Goderich which has opened the doors for our furry friends, literally.
Travelling east on your way down to the beach, you will notice one of Goderich’s most distinct and unique features, after leaving the town square (really an octagon) you’ll travel down to its beach (which is actually three beaches). It’s nothing, if not quirky.
Across the harbour from the salt mine, is the first beach, which is its most expansive and it’s for humans only, but just a little bit further down the road is St. Christopher’s Beach, which is dog-friendly. Now, man’s best friend still has to be leashed, but on St. Christopher’s Beach, dogs are free to run through the sand, swim in the water, or simply walk on the boardwalk or the grass, or even find some shade to lie in.
However, travelling even further south, past Goderich’s third beach, is a dog run, where leashes can be freed and dogs are able to run to their hearts content as long as their owner is able to keep them under control and well-behaved.
“We have always been very dog-friendly here,” says Goderich Tourism’s Bob Marshall. “And this makes it so that anyone is free to use the waterfront.”
Marshall says that he thinks Goderich’s waterfront is perfect for just about anyone, providing beaches for people who might not want to be disturbed by dogs and people who do have dogs.
“When you limit who can use the waterfront, that makes it tough. Now anyone can use the waterfront,” he said. “I mean we want everyone to be able to enjoy it. It’s accessible to everyone and now dog-owners can enjoy it just as everyone else does.”
Marshall says, as a dog owner himself, that he feels the community is very dog-friendly, even if it’s just residents walking their pets around town.
He says that the pet-accessible beach is just one more attraction to help bring people to the area.
“Everyone cares about what the town looks like, so most people clean up after their dogs,” he said. “It’s very pet-friendly here.”