The city’s own beach rules say dogs are allowed on Carmel Beach without a leash but must stay under voice control. They must be leashed on the Scenic Pathway and elsewhere in town, and owners must pick up after them and leash them when leaving the beach by stairs.
The film star Doris Day, a lifelong animal-welfare supporter, lived in Carmel Valley and from the 1980s owned the Cypress Inn in Carmel, an early pet-friendly hotel that Architectural Digest featured in 1999. Her fans gathered in Carmel each spring for a birthday party that raised money for her animal foundation.
The official visitor site has a dog-friendly filter for hotels, inns, restaurants and bars.