Consider dog-friendly beaches, parks for Labor Day

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By By Laurie Denger, Staff Writer 4:38 PM Friday, August 21, 2009

Dear Critter: I appreciated your article in the paper about dog-friendly beaches. Is there any chance you could do anything about beaches in the Miami Valley? It would be lovely to have a couple of locations to take a water dog nearby where I wouldn’t get into trouble by doing so.

Planning for your Labor Day weekend?

Several Web sites have lots of possibilities for beaches and parks in Ohio where you and your pet can run and play and swim. Remember, if you bring your pet, you need to clean up after him. You also need to take plenty of water, a good leash and make sure your pet is wearing ID and a license.

To find some suggestions, I checked DogFriendly.com, Pet VR.com and others. Here is a list compiled from those sites:

• Geneva State Park near Cleveland has a swimming and play area for dogs. But pets must be leashed while in the park.

• Catawba Island State Park near Port Clinton allows leashed dogs. The beach area allows dogs, but they must be leashed when not in the water.

• Lake Alma State Park near Hocking Hills has a dog beach where dogs can swim and run off-leash.

• Kelleys Island State Park has a 100-foot swimming beach where dogs are welcome to swim away from human swimmers.

• Sycamore State Park, 4675 N. Diamond Mill Road, Trotwood, allows dogs on its eight miles of hiking trails, but they must be leashed.

• Caesar Creek State Park, near Waynesville, allows dogs on a six-foot leash. If you camp, there is a dog area with a walking area. Dogs are not allowed in the swimming beaches, but dogs can swim outside the designated swimming areas.

• Little Miami State Park, 8570 E. Ohio 73, Waynesville, allows dogs on trails on a six-foot leash.

• John Bryan State Park, 3790 Ohio 370, Yellow Springs, allows leashed dogs on trails and in the campgrounds.

• Grand Lake St. Marys State Park in St. Marys has a Fur Ever Friends Dog Park on the lake.

• Wilson Park Pool in West Carrollton will allow dogs to swim from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, during the city’s Doggie Dive Splash Festival. Admission is $5 per family with proceeds benefitting local dog rescue organizations.

And keep your eyes open for dog swimming events when area pools close for the season. Splash Moraine will hold Soggy Doggy Day on Sept. 8 to end up the swimming season. Wilson Park Pool in West Carrollton will hold the Doggie Dive Splash Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 12 with proceeds benefitting local dog rescue organizations. And The Beach waterpark in Mason will have a Dog Day on Sept. 13.

If you can’t get to an organized event, consider buying a small hard plastic doggie pool for your pup to jump into during those Dog Days of Summer.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@Dayton DailyNews.com.

CRITTER CORNER

LAURIE DENGER

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My wife and I discovered this.
There are beautiful light houses, beaches.
Sunsets are absolutely gorgeous on the 26 mile beach.
Sugar sand beaches.
6 hour drive from the Dayton, OH area
dog beach along the northern part of the beach.
website is:muskegon-mi.gov/
community/
parks/
park.asp?ParkID=29
pet friendly motel/small dogs
BelAireMotel.net (www.BelAireMotel.net)
See waterfront photos on site pictures of beaches and light houses.
Nice place to relax from the cares of the world.

Lee
7:04 AM, 8/22/2009

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