South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Play with your pups at the pool
South Florida water parks are going to the dogs
Sorry, humans and your thrilling water slides, but it’s time for your pooches to splash around in paradise.
On specific days in September and October, South Florida’s water parks and public pools will deliver splashy fun for your water-loving furball. The first event will kick off today, with future dates scheduled for early and mid-October.
The timing coincides with the annual shut-down of South Florida’s playgrounds at the end of summer, as Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade parks gear up for off-season maintenance and repairs. During these damp dog day afternoons, local water parks will feature plenty of pup-themed activities, such as dog costume contests, splash time in shallow water, games and pet adoptions.
Humans, we suppose, can show up with their canines, but only if they’re carrying plenty of tennis balls and treats. (There are priorities here, folks.) Pet owners must also bring proof of current vaccinations and county license tags.
Here’s where to take your dog paddling.
Doggy Splash Day 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. today at Catherine Strong Splash Park, 1500 SW Sixth St., Delray Beach; 561-243-7250 or Facebook event page and DelrayBeachFl.gov
Dogs (accompanied by their 18-and-older companions) should be 4 months or older to splash around for free. Park officials say there’s no limit to how many pooches owners can bring, but aggressive or socially awkward pets may be asked to leave. Dogs 25 pounds and under can swim from 9 to 10 a.m., while dogs over 25 pounds will swim from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Waggin’ at the Waterpark 9 a.m.-1:50 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at Coconut Cove Waterpark, 20130 Regional Park Drive, Boca Raton; $10 plus tax per dog; 561-629-8840 or Facebook event page and Discover.PBCGov.org
9 a.m.-1:50 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Calypso Bay Waterpark, 151 Lamstein Lane, Royal Palm Beach; $10 plus tax per dog; 561-790-6160 or Facebook event page and Discover.PBCGov.org
Registration begins at 9 a.m. at Coconut Cove and Calypso Bay, and there’s a two-dog maximum per owner (free entry for humans). Pups are limited to one 50-minute session. Dogs weighing 45 and up can swim from 10 to 10:50 a.m. and from noon to 12:50 p.m., while dogs under 45 pounds can swim from 11 to 11:50 a.m. Dogs up for adoption will swim from 1 to 1:50 p.m.
Paws in the Pool
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Venetian Pool,
2701 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables; 305-460-5306 or Facebook event page and VenetianPool.com
Your fur babies won’t care that this
820,000-gallon pool, carved from a coral-rock quarry, is drained and filled each day with spring water from an underground aquifer. But you’ll be grateful your four-legged friend can paddle in chlorine-free surroundings. The pool will admit only 200 dogs ($11 per pet and human). Sessions are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. for dogs up to 30 pounds and
1:30-4:30 p.m. for dogs over
30 pounds.
Barktoberfest
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 5-6 at Splash Adventure Water Park at Quiet Waters Park,
401 S. Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach; 954-357-5100 or Broward.org/Parks
Beware certain water features liable to scare your pet, such as turn valves firing sprays of water skyward and buckets that fill with water and tip over. Barktoberfest is designed as much for humans as their pets, with kiddie bounce houses and face painting, a dog costume contest and pet adoptions with local rescue and nonprofit
groups. Fees are $11.50 per 50-minute session, and dogs 25 pounds or less can swim in the 8-8:50 a.m. session, while dogs of all sizes can swim from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
K9 Splash 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 12-13 and Oct. 19-20 at Castaway Island at T.Y. Park, 3300 N. Park Road, Hollywood; 954-357-8811, ext. 0, or Broward.org/Parks
Canine owners can unleash
their pets for a maximum of two 50-minute sessions at Castaway Island, T.Y.’s splash park ($5 per dog per session plus $1.50-per-person park
entrance fee). All dogs can swim together, but smaller pups (25 pounds and under) not eager to splash with big dogs can play in a separate designated area.