Pet Friendly Businesses and Fun Destinations

By Anna Lee

Thinking of going to the beach? Taking a day trip or mini vacation? If you’re wondering what to do with your dog, you will be pleased to know there are many businesses, parks, restaurants, and beaches that welcome your four-legged friend. More and more locations are jumping on the bandwagon too. I guess dog and cat lovers are finally making their wants and needs known, and businesses are listening. Thank you!

Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida

A vacation at the beach sounds good to me. Being able to find a place to let my dog Abby run free would make it that much better. Fort De Soto Park is one of six ‘Paw Playgrounds’ in Pinellas County that are dog friendly. Fort De Soto is a 2 acre fenced park that has 200 yards of soft white sand for your dog to run and play on. Pack yourself a picnic lunch and bring along some CANIDAE Snap-Biscuit® treats for the dog, and enjoy a fun day at the beach! What could be better than that? For more information, including maps and a virtual tour of the dog park check out their website.

Nashville, TN

Traveling to Nashville soon and taking the family dog with you? You won’t be alone. Nashville is going to the dogs, and they don’t have to be country music fans – but it helps! Nashville has a fantastic dog friendly park system, with three dog parks that are open from dawn to dusk. Check out the Nashville Dog Parks by logging onto their website. The site offers lots of information on hours of operation and what they expect from their visitors.

There are also several Nashville restaurants that allow pets to dine with their owners at outside tables. You must realize that Fido can only join you at the outdoor tables, no dogs allowed inside the restaurants. Check out: 12 South Tap Room, Jackson’s Bar and Bistro and Calypso Café at this website.

Don’t hold back on a hotel – book the Lowe’s Vanderbilt Hotel which is not only dog and cat friendly, but offers doggie and kitty room service, plus gifts for your pet! They also have pet sitting and pet walking services available. It is quite an impressive hotel, and the fact that it’s pet friendly is even more impressive to me. Check out their website and decide if you and your pet would like to vacation in the lap of luxury. Photos of the hotel and information on their other amenities can be found here.

Lowe’s also has a pet friendly hotel at their Cornado Bay, CA location where your dog can learn to surf. A night’s lodging and surfing lessons is expensive. At $449 a night they won’t be seeing Abby and me any time in the future!

America’s Favorite Past Time - Baseball

Did you know you can take your dog to the ball field with you, on a specific pet friendly day that is! This event started in 1996 when the White Sox offered the fist “Dog Day” and was an instant success. Some of the festivities include parades, various competitions, vendors with products and services, and many of these events are fundraisers for animal related organizations. The thrill of the day is being able to have you dog sit with you in a special dog section and watch the game! Just a few examples: the Atlanta Braves have “Bark in the Park,” the St. Louis Cardinals have “Pooches in the Ballpark” and the San Francisco Giants have “Dog Days of Summer.” Check with your baseball team’s particular website to find out more about these special dog days.

Vacations no longer mean leaving the dog or cat at home. Doors are opening and it makes me smile to think I could take Abby to a great beach in Florida and a fantastic park in Nashville, or enjoy a ballgame together. What a life!

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