POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Borough police are stepping up patrols to enforce the boardwalk ban on dogs after some recent cases of owners leaving their dogs' waste behind.

In a post on the department Facebook page, police said they shared the public's concern and disgust regarding "dog feces left out in the open." The post included a photo of a pile of waste on the boardwalk, very close to a mounted "No Dogs Allowed" sign.

"No dogs shall be permitted in or upon the boardwalks, beaches, beachfronts, recreation areas, play areas, fields or public parks of the borough whether the dog be on a leash or otherwise," according to a borough ordinance updated in 2010.

The same ordinance allows dog access on the beach during the off-season — October through April, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The boardwalk can be used only for beach access.

A number of dog owners voiced disappointment in the off-season crackdown on all dogs, in comments on the police Facebook post.

"My husband and l would like to know why after thirty years, we STILL need to drive to other beach towns to walk our dog," one resident wrote. She also said it seemed like an entire town was being punished for a "few bad apples."

More from New Jersey 101.5: