Bark Island Day Gets Two Paws Up

Crowe rested his head on his wet, outstretched paws and lay still in the cool sand before it was time to go home.

The 5-year-old greyhound had sprinted across the circuit of the beach three times. He made the most of his rare visit to Pine Island.

"I would say he had a great time," said his owner, Mike Fisher, of Spring Hill. "He doesn't get out as much."

The public beach is open the first Saturday of every month throughout the winter. Another Bark Island Day will take place again from 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 7.

The once-a-month event began in November. It was designed to be the one public haven for dog owners until the county's first dog park opens, which is expected in the next couple weeks.

More than 50 dog owners and their pets converged on the beach today. Everything from Jack Russell terriers to Great Danes kicked up sand, chased each other, played fetch with tennis balls and did the wet-dog shake.

"They had a blast," said Peggy Prentice, of Spring Hill, who brought her two Chihuahuas with her. "They like the sand ... I hope they do this every year."

Last year, the board of county commissioners approved the request to turn Pine Island into a dog-friendly park once a month. It came from Hernando County Parks and Recreation.

Linda Christian, an aquatics specialist for the department, also is an animal welfare and rehabilitation expert. She said it was her idea to open the park one morning a month during the winter so that it wouldn't interfere with the volumes of beach visitors.

"It's been a hit," she said. "They really want us to extend it. The dogs run. They're free. They just like to be at the beach ... They're not on their own territory, so the dogs aren't acting territorial. They don't fight."

Christian thinks the upcoming Rotary Centennial Park will have the same effect. The county's first public park for dogs is located along Landover Boulevard.

It was announced last month it would open in mid-January thanks to a funding arrangement with the Spring Hill Central Rotary Club.

The county commissioners agreed to fund $25,000 to complete the park as long as the Rotary Club pays it back.

Originally, the park was expected to open in 2008, but the floundering economy made it difficult for the club to collect donations.

"I'm very much looking forward to it," said Fisher about Rotary Centennial Park. "I'll be there the day it opens ... an hour ahead of time."