Pet Policies
Ocean Lakes is happy to have your entire family, including your pets! Pets (excluding rottwielers, pitt bulls and exotic animals) are allowed at all campsites. Pets are not permitted in our rental sites - sorry! Pet policies while you are at the campground:
- Sorry, pets are NOT permitted in Ocean Lakes Properties' rental units, but we do welcome pets at our campsites!
- Do not leave your pet unattended at your campsite.
- Dogs MUST be on a leash at all times.
- Leashes must not exceed 6 feet in length.
- You MUST clean up after your pets.
- CAUTION - Secure pets on golf cars.
- No Pit Bulls, Rottweilers or any other dangerous or exotic pets allowed.
- Please visit our Recreation Office for information about having pets on the beach.
- No loud barking or unruly behavior tolerated.
There is a $100 fine for guests who do not clean up after their pets. (See "Here's the Scoop on Pets" below.)
Park Policies: PDF | Word Document | v. Jan. 2019
Pet Beach Laws
per sources and revisions in 2011
Ocean Lakes has nearly one mile of oceanfront in Horry County limits featuring 18 marked beach accesses.
Please note change in Horry County's pet policy as of Beach Ordinances revised in June, 2011.
- Please be aware that in Horry County, pets are not allowed on the beach from 10 AM - 5 PM, May 1 - Labor Day. (This includes the beach in front of Ocean Lakes and part of Lakewood.)
- Surfside Beach does not allow pets on the beach at any time May 15 - September 15. Be aware that Surfside will fine dog owners $500 per dog during this time. (Surfside Beach begins at the South end of Ocean Lakes' beach front at the Holiday Inn and the city limits end at Melody Lane.)
- Pets must be on a 6 foot leash at all times on the beach, in control, and pet waste picked up.
Fireworks and Your Pet
Please note, fireworks are not permitted inside Ocean Lakes Family Campground, however, they are a popular past time on the beach. Please keep this in mind while selecting your site in Ocean Lakes if your pet is disturbed by fireworks. Fireworks are currently permitted on Horry County beaches. (Ocean Lakes Security has jurisdiction to the sand dunes, Horry County Police have jurisdiction over the beach front East of the sand dunes should problems arise or you have a complaint. Ocean Lakes Security works very closely with the Horry County Police.)
Annual Pet Celebration Day
July 4th & 3 Halloweekends
Proceeds to benefit local charities for animals in need.
Ocean Lakes feels pets deserve their special day too! In honor of all pets we've decided to have a Pet Celebration Day. We will have two contests, anything goes and a patriotic pet contest, along with special pet vendors and pet adoptions.
Contest prizes include free nights of camping, attraction tickets and other great stuff. All contests are $5 each to enter and all proceeds go to benefit local charities for animals in need.
Please note: Crowd friendly pets welcome. All pet policies apply.
Pets welcome in the Recreation Building for the Pet Celebration.
Please sign up in advance at the Recreation Office for the contest.
"Patriotic Pet Parade" - Dress your pet in 4th of July style or just dress them up in any style!
Here’s the Scoop about Pets
Pets are one of the big reasons that people camp and we consider them part of the family at Ocean Lakes. We try to keep our policies simple and only modify them when necessary. Unfortunately, a modification is now a necessity to address one of our guests’ #1 complaints.
There are a lot of good pet parents out there who do the right thing, and we appreciate it! But it’s time to alter our tactics to get the attention of those who refuse to clean up after their pet. We have debated how to do this for years, and our recent experience has proven that some people will not comply unless there is a literal cost associated with ignoring the policies and requests to be courteous to others. So, beginning on January 1, 2014 we will begin to enforce a $100 fine for guests who do not clean up after their pets.
Rest assured that this is not a source of revenue for Ocean Lakes. Every penny will be donated to our favorite animal charity. Our team relies on local pet care charities to help take care of injured animals found in our park, such as swans and ducks.
There will be no DNA testing necessary. We have plenty of teammates and undercover eyewitnesses who are willing to help reduce pet pollution by reporting guests who refuse to “scoop the poop.” In season, we have nearly 500 teammates, many not only work here, but live and play here, too, making them valuable eyewitnesses. Even in the off-season, there are nearly 170 teammates.
Pet waste is more than gross - it is detrimental to our environment and humans. Pet pollution is carried by storm water runoff that contributes to high bacteria levels in our waterways and beaches after it rains. Ocean Lakes’ iCare Program, established in 2009, focuses on educating our guests about issues that impact the environment in our area and suggests action to address these issues. A plastic shopping bag works fine for collecting pet waste. Also, there are 28 iCare “Doggie Doo Stations” located throughout the campground (they are marked on our maps). Each station provides biodegradable bags for guests to use to clean up after their pet. These bags amount to quite an investment for Ocean Lakes, so please take only what you need so there is enough for others (we aren’t sure why some take an entire roll as they aren’t so good for packing lunches).
Service Dogs
We permit a legitimate service dog(s) that meet the ADA guidelines. Please note the Horry County laws above. If you need to take your service dog to the beach, Horry County Police asks that you not to play with dog during the no dog hours (such as throwing a ball or frisbee).