Should Dogs be Allowed on Tybee Beach?

Should dogs be allowed on Tybee Island's Beaches?
Right now bringing man's best friend on the beach carries a minimum two hundred dollar fine.
So why doesn't Tybee allow dogs on their sandy shores?
News Three’s Community Reporter Alice Massimi spoke with one man who is hoping to paw prints will soon grace the shores.

Bill Gillespie likes to take his dog Jasmine to the beach. Well not really, this is as far as Jasmine can go. Tybee Island's Beaches do not allow dogs...
“Living on Tybee I am tired of taking her to Hilton Head or Amelia Island,” comments Gillespie.
So he’s pushing for change.
A move he thinks would woo locals back to the beach and bring help tourism.
“I have lived up and down the East Coast and it works from Maine to Miami so I think the time is right. I think we are the only island that hasn't figured it out and I think there are some great options out there,” says Gillespie.
But Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman isn't sold on the idea.
“Ultimately when the DNR or other state officials tell us that one of the reasons Tybee has such a good history of beach water quality is because we don't allow dogs on the beach, that makes it tough,” says Buelterman.
The issue isn't closed though... Buelterman says the city is doing a study on the beach’s water quality.
“I think it is critical you find out, does dog waste lead to bacteria problems in the water?” questions Buelterman.
Gillespie on the other hand thinks the link between water quality and dog waste is not issue.
“I think that is a false issue. Out of all the research I have done and the beaches I have been to that is not a real issue, it’s exaggerated,” says Gillespie.
Water quality aside Gillespie is proposing a trial period... leashes only and there would set areas and times when paws were permitted.
Mayor Buelterman says the water quality study is expected to take about 6 months.
In the meantime anyone who lives on Tybee and would like to see dogs allowed on the beach can bring their concerns to the city council.