Tybee Island Irish Heritage Parade: Dog Group Claims They Were Kicked Out

The focus this week is on St. Patrick's Day and Savannah's isn't the only parade going on.

The Tybee Island Irish Heritage parade brings thousands to the island the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day.

The Irish Air Corps, Tybee Island Fire Department, The Crab Shack, and Tybee Island Beautification were among some who marched in the parade.

Some even marched with their dogs, but as I found out, some dog owners were allowed to march in the parade.

"We were kicked out of the St. Patrick's Day parade,” says Karen Kelly who entered the parade as Tybee Loves Dogs; a Band of Dogs.

Karen Kelly, her husband, Frank and about 25 other dog lovers wanted to march in the Tybee Irish Heritage Parade with their dogs glammed out in green, but plans changed when Kelly got to the parade line-up with pooches Olivia and Moja. That's when Kelly says a police officer and parade organizer approached her asking which group she was with.

"I said we're with "Tybee loves dogs," just “A band of dogs" and he said well you have been pulled from the parade. And I'm like what, I can't believe that, yes, I know a little something about it, I said actually we talked to you last night and you said we could be in it as long as we didn't have signs,” explains Kelly.

The signs Kelly’s referring to are those in favor of allowing dogs on the beach which has been a heated issue on Tybee for several years.

"I've actually got a bruise, a cop grabs my arm and pulls me off to the side and said you will be arrested if you don't get out of the parade line now,” continues Kelly.

I talked to Jay Burke, organizer of the parade. He said he didn't want to allow the group to march because he thought they'd be making a political statement about wanting to allow dogs on the beach. The group said they weren't going to be campaigning or having any signs. Burke says the parade is about celebrating Irish heritage.

And with a last name like Kelly, dogs with green beads and green spots, that was the plan.

"Jay Burke said to my husband that people were complaining. I think that there is a group of people on Tybee that maybe are influential and are able to stop things,” adds Kelly.

Kelly says it's time for people to stand up and know what's going on.

Burke told me that this is not the first time the parade committee decided not to allow a group to participate because of they thought they were political

Kelly tells me the group registered for a parade permit on Wednesday, the same day the company she works for did. She says that her husband received a call from Burke on Friday night and they discussed the situation. Frank Kelly assured Burke that they would not have any signs and that it would not be political after Burke told him they would be arrested if they marched.