Hi everyone, Picket here. Some of you know me, but for those of you who don’t, let me introduce myself. My name may give it away, but I am the beloved owner of Kevin & Theresa Dermody over at Florida Fence. I let them think that I am their mascot and furry child, but we all know who runs the show, right? After all, they call me the “Chief Canine Officer”! I may be little, but I am the resident expert on all things puppy, so they have asked me to let you know about my favorite dog parks here in Sarasota. ?
First things first – not every park in town is a dog park. Even if you can take a dog to a park, it doesn’t mean it is a dog park. Dog parks are specifically designed for dog fun, and most importantly, dog safety! A few general housekeeping items first: be sure your dog has had all of his or her vaccines, don’t take an aggressive pup to the park, most parks have water bowls, but you might want to take one with you in case it is crowded, pick up after your dogs (poop bags are usually available at all of the parks) and keep an eye on your precious furry family members! Remember, you are there for THEM and it is you job to watch them and keep them safe! They take care of you, right?
Our Favorite Dog Parks
OK, so with all that safety stuff out of the way, here are a few of my fave places to frolic. One thing, though – first you have to decide if you want dry or wet. That is, officially dry or wet, not accounting for rain. Just a little puppy humor there, since we DO love bouncing in puddles.
- If your pup loves the beach, I would highly recommend the Brohard Paw Park and Beach, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South in Venice. They can play in the water and on the beach and what better place for a Florida pup to show off where he lives to those northern snow-bound hounds? What a great social media photo op!!! There are gates areas for large and small dogs, and it even has a flexible shower hose area so you can wash the sand off canine paws! How nice is that?
- Lakeview Paw Park is located right near two schools at 7150 Lago Street in Sarasota. It’s easy to get to from Cattlemen Road or Bee Ridge Road or even the highway! I love this place because not only does it have separate play areas for big and little dogs, but it also has lots of shade, so even on a hot day it is fun to run among the pine needles and under the big trees.
- My next favorite park in Sarasota is the 17th Street Paw Park. Yes, it is on 17th Street not too far west from Honore Avenue. It has tons of space, but not quite as much shade as Lakeview, so sometimes it can get hotter there. But still – lots of fun!!!
- OK, so it’s not in Sarasota, but if you happen to live at Taylor Morrison’s Esplanade Golf & Country Club in Naples, I built the aluminum puppy picket fence there – there is a special area for small dogs like me, automatic gate openers and auto water feeders! And, while I am out playing, there are even shaded benches for Kevin and Theresa to relax – I’m pretty proud of myself for that one!
There are other parks in Venice and Bradenton, so be sure to check out the Sarasota County or Manatee County Parks websites for more information. Of course, even if you take your pups to the park, if you can have a fenced in yard for them they will be able to practice their manners! Why not contact us today to get started on your brand new fence or use our online tool to design your fence on a map of your actual property to allow your puppies to get some practice time in before they head to the park?! ?
Oh, by the way, I would love to meet all of you puppies, so why not come in to our office (feel free to bring your owners!) to visit me and my pets? I promise, none of us bite!