On National Puppy Day, Tampa Pups Are Lucky To Live in 1 Of Dog-Friendliest Cities

TAMPA, FL — As the national celebrates National Puppy Day Thursday, Tampa pet owners and their puppies as well as they're mature counterparts now have a new place to play and socialize.

In a funding partnership with developer Darryl Shaw, the Friends of Ybor opened Tampa's newest dog park on Dec. 17.

The 4th and Angel Dog Park, 1802 E. 4th Ave. in Ybor City, provides 4,000 square feet of space for four-legged friends to play, socialize and get some exercise.

This is the 17th public dog park to open in the city, providing one reason for Tampa's ranking as one of the nation's top pet-friendly cities.

The $600,000 dog park at the corner of 18th Street and 4th Avenue is designed to be a both a dog park and gathering space for their owners. Situated next door to a cafe nestled in an adjacent park, it serves as an example of how urban infill property can be creatively used, said Shaw.

Those interested in supporting the endeavor can do so on the organization’s website.

Other dog parks in Tampa include:

• Angus Goss Dog Park, 4601 N Cenral Ave.
• Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Drive.
• Davis Islands Dog Beach, 1002 Severen St.
• Deputy John Kotfila Jr. Memorial Dog Park, 626 N Raymond Ave.
• Gadsden Park, 6901 S MacDill Ave.
• Giddens Park, 5202 N 12th St.
• Herman Massey Park, 1002 N Franklin St.
• James Urbanski Dog Park at Al Lopez Park, 4810 N Himes Ave.
• Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Boulevard.
• Madison Street Dog Park, 1224 E Madison St.
• New Tampa Rotary Dog Park, 17301 Commerce Park Blvd.
• Palma Ceia Park, 2200 Marti St.
• Picnic Island Dog Beach, 7409 Picnic Island Blvd.
• Rowlett Park, 2401 E Yukon St.
• Queenie's Dog Park & Waterworks Park, 1710 N Highland Ave.
• Washington Street Park, 118 N 12th St.

Tampa also earned high marks for places to hike with your best friend including:

• Al Lopez Park, featuring 132 acres of nature trails and freshwater ponds for people and pets on leashes to explore.
• The 2.6-mile and growing Tampa Riverwalk.
• The 16.2-mile Courtney Campbell Causeway West Trail.
• The scenic 8.4-mile Bayshore Boulevard.
• The 2.6-mile Davis Island Trail.
• The 2.1-mile Picnic Island Loop.
• The 1.5-mile Gadsden Park trail.
• The 1.1-mile McKay Bay Nature Park Trail.
• The 2-mile Harbour Island Coastal Walk.
• The 1-mile Temple Terrace Scout Park Loop.
• The 11-mile Flatwoods Loop Trail.
• USF Botanical Gardens

With Florida's climate allowing for year-round outdoor activities, Tampa has hundreds of restaurants with outdoor cafes that welcome dogs and host weekly "yappy hour" and other events gears to furry friends:

MacDinton's Irish Pub, 405 S Howard Ave., Tampa, hosts a yapping hour every third Sunday of the month featuring doggy treats, a chance to win raffle baskets and socialize with other pets while raising funds for the Mercy Full Project Animal Rescue.

BarrieHaus Beer Co., 1403 E 5th Ave. in Ybor City, hosts periodic yappy hours to benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

World of Beer Bar & Kitchen, 5311 Avion Park Drive, Tampa, will host the Hair of the Dog Brunch April 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free World of Beer dog bandanas while supplies last.

Additionally, Tampa has a number of eateries and bars that welcome dog with some even catering to dogs including:

• The Dog Saloon, 3311 W Bay to Bay Blvd.
• City Dog Cantina, 1208 E Kennedy Blvd.
• Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 4115 S MacDill Ave.
• Boardwalk Dogs, 1101 W Sligh Ave.
• Pups Pub, 2202 W Kennedy Blvd.
• Two Shepherds Taproom, 4813 N Grady Ave.
• Zydeco Brew Werks, 1902 E 7th Ave.
• Sweet Soul, 1101 S Howard Ave.
• Bo's Ice Cream, 7101 N Florida Ave., offering vegan dog ice cream.
• Hair of the Dog Park and Bar, 4211 N Nebraska Ave., Seminole Heights.
• Coppertail Brewing, 2601 E 2nd Ave.
• Square 1 Burgers & Bar, 3701 Henderson Blvd.
• Gaspar's Grotto, 1805 E 7th Ave.
• Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 13937 Monroes Business Park
• Ulele, 1810 N Highland Ave.
• Sail Plaza, 333 S Franklin St.
• Datz,2616 S MacDill Ave.
• Ella's Folk Art Cafe, 5119 N Nebraska Ave.
• Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill, 7720 W Courtney Campbell Causeway
• Goody, Goody Burgers, 1601 W Swann Ave.

Check out more Dog-Friendly Restaurants & Bars in Florida.

And for those visiting Tampa with their canine companions, there are an increasing number of hotels that cater to pets including:

• Le Meridien Tampa in the historic Tampa U.S. Courthouse, 601 N Florida Ave.
• Aloft Tampa Downtown, 100 W Kennedy Blvd.
• Hotel Alba Tampa boutique hotel, 5303 W Kennedy Blvd.
• Hotel Haya, 1412 E Seventh Ave.

Tampa has racked a slew of honors for its pet-friendly focus:

• Bring Fido named Tampa No. 7 on its list of Most Pet-Friendly Cities.
• Forbes ranks Tampa No. 13 on its list of Best Cities for Dogs.
• Smart Asset ranks Tampa No. 3 on its 2022 list of Most Dog-Friendly Cities in America.
• Wallet Hub named Tampa No. 2 on its 2022 list of Most Pet-Friendly Cities.
• The Street named Tampa No. 2 on its list of Best U.S. Cities for Pet Lovers.
• Honest Paws named Tampa No. 1 on its list of the Best U.S. Cities to Be a Dog.

For more ideas of places to take your pets, see Visit Tampa Bay's handy Ultimate Guide to Dog-Friendly Places in Tampa.

If you have a pet-friendly venue in the city of Tampa you'd like to add to these lists, email the information to dann.white@patch.com.