Sharks and Dogs at Florida Beaches: What Pet Owners Should Know

A shark bite on a dog in Florida is unlikely, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gives dog owners one blunt piece of advice anyway: do not allow pets in the water, because their erratic movements may draw a shark’s attention. You do not need to panic about sharks at a dog beach. You do need to pick the time, the place and the water conditions the way FWC tells swimmers to – and on bad days, keep the dog on the sand.

How likely is a shark bite in Florida?

For people, not very. FWC says it is extremely unlikely for a person to be bitten by a shark in Florida waters, and bites are rarely life-threatening. The International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History counted 11 shark bites in Florida in 2025, below the state’s recent five-year average of 18.

For dogs, nobody keeps a comparable count, so we cannot give you a number. What we can say is that the conditions that raise the risk for a swimmer apply to a dog, and a dog has a few extra strikes against it: it paddles rapidly, splashes continuously and changes direction abruptly, which is exactly the erratic movement FWC warns about.

Where in Florida bites happen most

One stretch of coast stands out. Volusia County on the Atlantic side, especially around Ponce Inlet between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, is often called the shark bite capital of the world. The Florida Museum reports it accounted for more than half of Florida’s bites in 2025, with six.

A Florida Museum analysis of bites there from 1999 to 2008 explains why, and the reasons are useful anywhere. The bites mostly involve smaller fish-eating sharks such as spinners and blacktips, usually under 6 to 7 feet long. They happen in turbid, murky water at the surface, near an inlet whose strong tidal flow concentrates the fish sharks eat. In those conditions, a small shark hunting by spotting movement can mistake a kicking foot for prey, bite and let go. In that study, bites peaked from May through October, with August the highest month.

None of this means Volusia is off-limits for dogs or that the Gulf Coast is shark-free. It means inlets, murky water and busy baitfish are the pattern to watch for on any Florida beach. Shark presence can occur in many saltwater environments, and a calm-looking back-bay beach is not automatically wildlife-free.

When to keep your dog out of the water

FWC’s list for swimmers doubles as a list of bad times for a dog swim. Keep the dog on the sand:

• At dawn, dusk and night. FWC says sharks are most active during darkness and twilight hours. Unfortunately this is also when it is cool enough for a dog on a Florida beach in summer, so plan beach time for mid-morning or late afternoon with shade and water.
• In murky water. FWC advises extra caution in murky water. You cannot see what is near your dog, and the Volusia bites described above happen mostly in exactly this kind of water.
• Near anyone fishing. FWC says to avoid waters used for any kind of fishing, especially where there are signs of baitfish or feeding activity. That means no dog swims next to fishing piers, surf anglers, fish-cleaning stations or bait buckets.
• When birds are diving. FWC notes that diving seabirds frequently feed on baitfish and are good indicators of that activity. If birds are repeatedly diving and you can see fish schooling, keep the dog out.
• Between sandbars and near steep drop-offs. FWC calls these favorite hangouts for sharks. A dog chasing a ball into the trough between the beach and the outer bar is in exactly that spot.
• When sharks have been seen. FWC says not to enter the water if sharks are known to be present and to get out if one is sighted. Follow lifeguard flags and instructions, and leave the shoreline if you need to.
• If your dog has an open wound. FWC advises people not to enter the water while bleeding, because a shark’s sense of smell for blood is acute. The same logic applies to a dog with a fresh cut or a torn pad.

FWC also recommends swimming only where lifeguards are on duty, and staying close to shore and to other people. With a dog, that means shallow water, a short swim and you standing close enough to grab the collar.

Big dogs, small dogs, and what else is in the water

Small dogs need extra supervision. They are harder to see in the surf, they tire quickly and they can be hard to retrieve once a wave carries them out. A large dog is not immune either. Size does not eliminate risk, and a big confident swimmer is more likely to head for the outer bar.

In practice, sharks are rarely the thing that ruins a Florida beach day for a dog. Heat, drinking seawater, jellyfish and Portuguese man o’ war, stingrays in the shallows, fish hooks and rough surf all cause far more trouble. Our guides cover jellyfish and Portuguese man o’ war, stingrays, saltwater poisoning in dogs and even dolphins and dogs.

Also remember where dogs are allowed at all. Florida State Parks keeps pets off the sand and out of the water at most coastal parks to protect shorebirds and nesting sea turtles, and plenty of city and county beaches do not allow dogs either. Stick to designated dog beaches – see our list of the best pet-friendly beaches in Florida – and if you are pairing beach time with a fishing trip, read fishing with your dog in Florida first.

If your dog is bitten by a shark or other marine animal

1. Get the dog out of the water and away from the shoreline. Get yourself out too.
2. For bleeding, press a clean towel, cloth or shirt firmly on the wound and hold steady pressure. Do not keep lifting it to check.
3. Go to the nearest emergency veterinarian immediately and call ahead on the way if someone else can drive. Bite wounds from any marine animal can be deeper and dirtier than they look, and they need a vet even when the bleeding stops.

Pet Help lists emergency vets for the counties it covers so far; elsewhere, call the nearest 24-hour animal hospital while someone else drives.

Before you head to the beach

• Plan swims for mid-morning or late afternoon in clear water, not dawn, dusk or night.
• Choose a spot away from piers, inlets, surf fishing and baitfish activity.
• Keep the dog in shallow water where you can reach it, and use a long line if its recall is iffy.
• Pack fresh water, shade, a towel you can use as a pressure bandage and the number of the nearest emergency vet.

Shark safety for dogs does not require fear. It requires respecting the same water conditions FWC already tells swimmers to take seriously.