With 13 miles of Ocracoke Island beach to explore, your four-legged family member will surely enjoy their vacation too! Ocracoke Island Realty offers nearly 100 pet-friendly properties, so there’s no need to pay kennel fees and worry about your beloved friend. 

Everyone wants a safe and happy vacation, so here are some tips for bringing your dog to Ocracoke Island. 

#1 PREPPING FOR TRAVEL

Make sure you have a tag on your dog, and bring all medications with you. Find out the name and location of the nearest vet before you leave for the beach. You won’t have to do that in case of an emergency. If you can clip another tag on your pup with the rental house ID/company, that is a good idea, just in case you have a runner. 

#2 THE FERRY

On your journey to Ocracoke Island, please remember that the ferry decks get very hot. And while you have shoes or flip-flops on, your pup’s pads can get burns, blisters, or sores. The best way to think about this is to ask yourself if you would be happy walking barefoot on that. This goes with sand on the beach also. 

#3 ON THE BEACH

All of Ocracoke’s beaches belong to the National Park Service and fall under the guidelines of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A leash law at National Parks requires leashes not to exceed six (6) feet in length.

• Please keep your pet on a leash at all times.
• Be sure to bring plenty of fresh water for your pets. Dogs can easily become dehydrated on the beach and need plenty of water.
• Do not allow your pet to drink salt water.  When a dog ingests too much salt water, it can upset the GI tract and result in diarrhea and vomiting.
• Provide shade for your pet if you plan to stay on the beach for a long period of time.
• Beware of allowing your pet near fish hooks.  The need for a vet visit to remove fish hooks is common at beach locations.
• Watch out for sand spurs that often lodge in your pet’s paws if exploring the dunes.
• Please clean up after your pet and dispose of waste in appropriate containers at the beach and in the village.

#4 AROUND THE VILLAGE

Ocracoke Island is very pet friendly. Several restaurants will allow you to bring your pup with you, including the Ocracoke Oyster Company, SmacNally’s, Dajio, and 1718 Brewing/Plum Pointe Kitchen. Jason’s, The Flying Melon, Helio’s, Old Salt Sandwiches, and Eduardo’s have picnic tables.

#5 THE JOURNEY HOME

Don’t forget to pack all your pet’s favorite blankets, toys, bones, or other items your dog loves for the journey home. Your pet will want all of their comforts for the ride after having an action-packed vacation roaming the beach and walking through the village. 

LET US HELP YOU PLAN YOUR PET FRIENDLY OCRACOKE ISLAND VACATION

As animal lovers and owners, we understand why bringing every family member is important. In addition to hand-selecting the area’s most extensive collection of pet-friendly rentals, we’ve curated a local guide Vacationing with a Pet. If you have any questions about bringing your pet or need assistance with finding the perfect pet friendly vacation rental, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 855-439-9542. Our Ocracoke homes are completely bookable online, you can browse the complete list of vacation rentals here.

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