If you have followed along for a while, you know that my husband and I have a miniature poodle named Leia that goes almost everywhere with us. A couple of years ago when we were visiting Honeymoon Island Pet Beach near St. Pete, we had the unfortunate experience of witnessing an older dog having a heat stroke on the beach. It was a stark reminder that we need to take a few extra steps when taking our beloved furry family members with us.
First of all, I absolutely would not recommend Honeymoon Island for older or disabled pets. It is quite the walk from the parking area to the actual beach and in the summer the walk is just too much. It is a really great beach to take your dog to, but just be aware that it is a long walk and plan accordingly.
Secondly, if you choose Honeymoon Island or any other beach, you need to bring plenty of water for your dog as well as a convenient way for them to drink it. We use a squeeze bottle with an attached bowl but there are a ton of options out there. I also recommend using water from home that they are used to drinking if possible because some dogs can be really picky when they aren’t in their own home. Make sure that you offer them water frequently, even if they refuse it.
I also highly recommend bringing some sort of shade. We have tried a multitude of tents and umbrellas over the years and it does definitely make a difference. Remember, these guys can’t tell us when they are getting too hot and it is up to us to keep them as cool as possible. That also means leaving if they are getting too hot, and that also applies to children. I can’t tell you how often we are at the beach and people’s kids are hot and whiney and begging to leave but the parents don’t want to leave because they “just got there”. That’s a whole other rabbit hole, but I don’t think having a kid or pet get heat sick is worth extra beach time.
Basically, just use your basic common sense when taking your dog out in the heat. Lots of water and don’t over do it. And think twice before taking a pet out that’s already struggling.
I compiled a list of dog beaches if you are interested. Let me know if you have been to any of these or know of any that didn’t make the list! I put an asterisk * after the ones we have visited if you have any specific questions let me know at doti@itsmorethanbeaches.com .
- Honeymoon Island State Park Pet Beach in Dunedin *
- David Island Dog Beach in Tampa
- Ponce Inlet Dog Beach in Ponce Inlet *
- Fort DeSoto Pet Beach in St. Petersburg
- Bonita Dog Beach in Fort Meyers
- Picnic Island Beach Dog Park in Tampa *
- Pass a Grille Dog Beach in Pass a Grille *
- Walton Rocks Dog Beach in Jensen Beach
- Bark Park Dog Beach in Boca Raton
- Old Salt Park Beach in Palm Coast *
- Jupiter Off Leash Dog Beach in Jupiter
- Venice Dog Beach in Venice
- Apollo Beach Dog Park in Apollo Beach
- Fort De Soto Boat Ramp in Tierra Verde
- Indian Rocks Beach Dog Park in Indian Rocks Beach *
- Sunset Beach Park in Treasure Island
- New Smyrna Beach Dog Park in Glencoe
- Canova Beach Dog Park in Indiatlantic *
- Madiera Beach Dog Park in Madiera Beach
- St. Pete Beach Dog Park in St. Pete Beach
- Flagler Beach in Flagler Beach *
- Public Dog Park in Cocoa Beach
- Satellite Beach Dog Park in Satellite Beach
- Dog Island in Maitland
- Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach
- South Ponte Verde Beach Recreation Park in Ponte Verde Beach
- Van Alder Dog Park in Daytona Beach Shores
- North Beach Park in St. Augustine
- Daytona Beach Lennox Playground in Daytona Beach
- Alfred A McKethan Pine Island Park in Spring Hill
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