Dorian Sweeney kneeled in the sand and searched for crabs with her 3-year-old son, Liam, Saturday morning at Willard Beach, a popular spot for hundreds of visitors over the July Fourth weekend.

The fact that dogs earlier Saturday morning had walked – and relieved themselves – along the shorefront that the pair now played in did not concern the Portland mother.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Sweeney said, as she chased after her toddler. “Kids pee at the beach, too.”

Pet access to South Portland’s most popular beach was far from the thoughts of Sweeney and many other beachgoers interviewed during the busy holiday weekend. Buying freeze pops at the snack shack, corralling wayward kids and snagging an empty spot on the crowded shorefront seemed to be bigger priorities.

“This is a nice beach. We come here because it is family-friendly and there’s a playground,” said Sweeney, who is from Portland. “If people want to bring their dogs earlier in the day, that’s fine with me.”

A special, nine-member task force appointed by the City Council has started meeting weekly this summer to determine whether the city needs to tighten or change rules regarding pet access to the public beach, which is near Southern Maine Community College. The group, composed of residents and two Councilors, is expected to make recommendations to the full Council.

The task has top priority for the City Council.

Current rules allow dog walkers on the beach from 6-9 a.m. in the summer, though some city councilors want the pet hours moved to the evening to allow the tide to wash the sands overnight. Dogs are allowed on the beach all day off-season.

There has been intense debate at City Council meetings when the topic of pet access at the beach is raised. Some beach-front residents complain that the dogs pose a health hazard to the public using the beach, especially families with small children. The Dog Owners Group (DOG) has mobilized against rule changes, showing up at City Council meetings wearing their dogs’ leashes.

At Willard Beach last weekend, the mood of the public was markedly brighter. Many people said they have not given the controversy much thought.

Most of the beach-going parents interviewed said they don’t mind dogs on the shorefront, as long as it does not conflict with the hours they are there with their kids. Many visitors preferred to talk about why they keep returning to Willard Beach.

Dave Tuigelsky of Cape Elizabeth said he and his wife go to Willard Beach more often than Cape beaches, because of the playground with climbing equipment, which their 2-year-old daughter, Zoe, enjoys.

“We have two kids in diapers. This is perfect for us,” said Tuigelsky. “People pick up after their dogs. Dogs on the beach – as long as there are separate hours for people and pets – do not bother us.”

Like Tuigelsky, several other visitors said they come to Willard Beach because it is ideal for small children, with a newly rebuilt playground, concession stand and lifeguards on duty. Some long-time visitors commented that the beach seems cleaner than it was years ago.

Justin and Katie Sweeney of South Portland brought their two young children to Willard Beach Saturday morning and parked their beach chairs just a few feet from the shore.

“We never see dog droppings and we come all the time,” said Katie Sweeney, as she kept an eye on 4-year-old Molly and 2-year-old Carter.

“Seagulls poop at the beach, too,” she said. “It never occurred to me to worry about it. We come here because it is a great place for the kids.”

Chris Robichaue played in the surf with his 10-year-old son, Isaiah. Robichaue, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, said he keeps coming to Willard Beach because this was the shorefront he swam in as a child.

Robichaue was among a few beachgoers interviewed Saturday who said he wants the pet access rules changed. He said it would be better if dog walkers used the beach at night. “This is a family beach and it should be clean. The tides overnight should help with that.”

“It has become avant-garde to take your dog to the beach. There are too many here,” he added.

Tim Beidel, who kayaks from the beach with his daughter, agreed with Robichaue.

Beidel, who recently moved to Willard Beach, said he thinks that the beach could be much cleaner than it is now.

Beidel said that South Portland should consider acquiring beach-cleaning equipment that he has seen used at the New Jersey shore, which rakes debris from the sands.

“You see all kinds of trash here, like cigarette butts and yesterday’s food wrappers,” he said.

Beidel said that he is against dogs being allowed on the beach, but admits that he used to hold the opposite view.

“When I owned a dog, it was important to me to have access to the beach. Now that I don’t, I would rather not have them here,” he said.

Dorian Sweeney of Portland plays with her 3-year-old son, Liam, along the shore at Willard Beach. Sweeney said she has been visiting Willard Beach since Liam was a baby. “Dogs on the beach donDave Tuigelsky of Cape Elizabeth relaxes with daughters Zoe, 2, and Madeleine, 10 months.