VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Visitors to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront may soon be allowed to walk their dogs for longer hours on the boardwalk during the summer season.

For roughly a decade, dogs have only been allowed on the boardwalk for four hours in the morning from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

However, according to Virginia Beach Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson, hotel owners trying to make their properties more pet friendly say the current policy is discouraging guests.

The new proposal is to extend the hours dogs are allowed to walk on the boardwalk from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

City Council is set to vote on the proposal on Tuesday.

View the proposal here

Below are the current rules for walking dogs at the Oceanfront between Memorial Day and Labor Day:

• No dogs on the beach or between Rudee Loop and 42nd Street
• Unleashed dogs are permitted on beaches north of 42nd Street before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., provided they’re under the control of their owner or leashed
• Leashed dogs are allowed on the boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
• Service animals are exempt from these prohibitions under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

During the shoulder season, meaning after Labor Day and before Memorial Day, dogs can enjoy the public beaches and boardwalk at any time. Leashed pets are allowed on the boardwalk and may be off-leash on the beach.