If you’re looking for a fun city with plenty of woof-friendly activities for your furry best friend, look no further than the sun-shiniest city in the sunshine state, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Literally nicknamed the sunshine city, St. Pete is a fun, quirky town with tons of culture, art, food, and plenty of people activities, plus the city has a giant heart for your four-legged pal. This isn’t just obvious by the long list of activities and pet-friendly places they have available for Fluffy and Fido, but also in the extensive shelters and charities they’ve established in the area.
One of the most well-known, the Pet Pal Animal Shelter works to rescue dogs and cats that may otherwise face euthanization because of crowded shelters, illness, or injury. Established in the 1980s, Pet Pal Animal Shelter is driven by the desire to make a difference. Not only do they do they make every effort to educate the public about spaying and neutering their pets, they also provide a no-kill shelter, and have built their own spay and neuter clinic where they offer exams and procedures at more affordable rates. The Pet Pal Animal Shelter focuses primarily on animals facing euthanasia and those needing a second chance at life, a chance they do their best to provide. In 2016, the Pet Pal Animal Shelter adopted out 797 animals!
Another popular shelter in St. Petersburg is the Friends of Strays organization, a non-profit founded in 1978 that’s dedicated to caring for homeless pets. Friends of Strays strives to re-home stray animals in the community, provide shelter and care, and inspire compassion for all animals while establishing what responsible pet guardianship means in the community. Friends of Strays is able to provide care for over 1,000 animals each year, most of them abandoned animals that are sick, injured, or traumatized.
Anyone can use the bar, but to bring your pup, you have to pay a few bones for membership, bring proof that your doggo has all his shots and has been snipped in the right spots (spayed and neutered pups, only).
Membership is $40 per year for you and your pup, then $20 for each additional dog.
One of the most popular spots in the city is North Shore Dog Park, a beautiful, fenced in area along the Tampa Bay waterfront. With two separate areas - one for small pups and another for bigger dogs - your woofer can run around, play with other pups, and enjoy the sunshine. Admission at this park is free, and what's even better, it has a reputation for being friendly and only hosting well-behaved pups!