Brohard Paw Park
Venice, FL
Brohard Paw Park is the only beach in all of Sarasota County where dogs are allowed off-leash, a fenced play yard right next to the sand with separate sections for small and large dogs. Shark teeth wash up here too, the same dark sand and shell debris found up the coast at Venice Beach.
Being the county's only off-leash dog beach makes it a genuine destination for pet owners with no real substitute nearby, and the shark tooth hunting is a bonus most dog beaches don't offer.
How we score beachesUse the free dog shower and shampoo station before loading a sandy, salty dog back into the car, it's one of the more thoughtful touches at any dog beach in the state. Enter the beach through the fenced dog park rather than looking for a separate beach entrance.
Parking is free in the lot adjacent to the park.
The beach is accessed through the fenced dog park, a short, flat walk from the lot.
Off-leash dogs are welcome in the fenced play yard and on the adjoining beach, the only such spot in Sarasota County.
Winter and spring bring the mildest weather and the biggest snowbird crowds to this stretch of the Gulf coast. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, bring the warmest water and afternoon storms.
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