Brohard Paw Park & Beach

Fun, off-​leash place to take your dog. In the park area, there’s a small-​dog pen and a lot of open park space, with some tables and such. A boardwalk leads out to the beach, where your dog can frolic, swim or dig to his/​her heart’s content. All dogs were well-​behaved and the park was very clean when we were there.
It was a bit crowded on Christmas Day but there appears to be overflow parking allowed across the street from the main lot.

This place can get a little crowded but it’s a wonderful dog beach near the Sarasota/​Venice area.
You’re at the gulf coast — in my opinion the best coast when it comes to quality of sand and water — and now you can take your derp with you (off leash!).
Our corgi loves the beach. He can’t wait to start digging in the sand and Brohard Beach sand seems agreeable to him.
Of course, it always helps to pay attention if your pet can’t get along with other dogs but while we were there (on a Christmas day) we didn’t see any trouble. Just people enjoying the sun and watching their dogs play.
by the way, the waters are nice and calm and good for swimming.

For the most part everyone picks up after their pooch. I’ve been coming Hereford years and there was only one occasion where the owner was inconsiderate of other. But this is by far the best dog beach!

We absolutely love this place! Traveling from NJ to Florida with our dog was great after rewarding her with a dip in the ocean and a romp with many well behaved dogs and their responsible owners. The beach is clean with baggies provided and the guests were friendly sharing a common love for spending fun time with other dog lovers. It’s fun to search for pretty shells and swim in clean water! A water fountain and doggy hose made clean up easy too!

When I say that this place is «dog heaven on earth» I really do mean that. This place is absolutely GORGEOUS and so well taken care of. Okay, so this is the way Brohard Paw Park and Beach works — The first portion of this place is a dog park, plenty of space for your furry child to run around and make plenty of friends. It includes several benches for dog parents to sit and relax while they let their child burn some energy… if you have a water dog, she/​he will love it as the park officials leave a few kiddie pools to use AND there are plenty of water spouts and hoses to play or wash down your pup. Now, to the beach– AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING! On a still day, the water is sooo clear that you can see all the little fishes, shells and small crabs that inhabit the water (I’ve gotten lucky and seen a few sting rays and manatees). This place is second to NONE in the state — I willingly drive 2 ½ miles for this dog beach so me and my fur-​baby Chico can have fun.
My two cents–
Besitos!
~Amanda

My family and I Visited this park/​beach on July 8^th. My mother a Florida resident brought her Chihuahua, I brought my two year old female Pitbull. You would have though I was walking a lion into this park. Upon walking in, the second gate was not latched. There was dog feces left laying all inside the park and was stinking in the heat, the stench was over whelming as the day went on! The water bowls were rusted, I feel not fit for drinking. Upon entering the path to walk to the beach area people were warning my mother in the dog park to wait because some woman had a Pitbull. How breed racist!!! When entering the beach, the water was beutiful as was the beach utill we realized that we were kicking up old dog poo. We recommend shoes! We placed our stuff away from everyone else’s because of the dirty looks to my poor little girl. The water was clear, warm and refreshing.
We kept our dogs leashed the entire time visiting this facility. Majority of the dogs on this beach ran free and unattended. Some dogs came down to play with ours (both of our dogs are friendly and socialized, my Pitbull is very socialized, I take her to a park every day.) My mothers dog was repeatedly humped (we r talking 12−15times) by another lady’s dog, the woman was to lazy to come and get her dog and told us to smack her dog off, Nor did she resolve the situation by leasing her dog.
Then a large unsupervised dog came down and got into my pitbulls face and tried to attack her, it scared her and she cowered behind me. I had to get between them to protect her. No one came to get the Agressive dog. That dog then went over pooped two times on the beach (no one picked that up either), I went back to my chair and that darn dog came back after my dog again. I went after that dog. He then peed on my sons shoes and my mothers bag. STILL NO OWNER CAME FORWARD!!! Worste experience ever!!! I witnessed multiple dogs poop on the beach and the owners pack up and leave the poop behind! Dogs are not leashed or supervised! It’s a fricken circus! Now I have a Pitbull that was well mannered, prior to this visit, that now has anxiety of other dogs! Thank you Brohard Paw Park for the worst experience ever and now the expense of upcoming dog classes I wouldn’t have needed, had I never visited this beach!

Visited this beach over the weekend! Normally frequent Fort De Sorto (which is closer) Brohard is about an 1 hour 10 mins but it was worth it! We love this beach and will make the drive back! The water is cleaner and the dogs are so well mannered! The sand is great (doesn’t stick to everything) and I love the fenced in area!

GORGEOUS DOG BEACH for the whole family!!! We were so excited to find this pristine beach with all the amenities needed for a fun day in the sun (dog park, dog beach, showers for both, restrooms, doggie bags).
Even on a busy Saturday, we were able to find parking and a great spot on the beach spread out from other families. Plenty of room between umbrellas here. The water was blue/​clear, sand shelly but good, and people/​dogs all friendly. We will definitely be back!!!

Note: we stopped by on 8-​apr-​2015, and the entire dog beach area is closed for renourishment. Fenced off and covered in pipes and earthmoving equipment. No signs to indicate this closure or reopening date. The fenced park area is still open, but if you are coming for a doggy beach session check first.

Drove an hour to get here and the beach is closed!!! No notice up as to why or when it will reopen. They could of at least put something up on the website as to what’s going on.
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Great place to bring your dog! Decent sized grassy park in the front with a great beach in the back. My poodle loves swimming and I try to take him as often as I can. Weekends can be busy, but come during the week and you can have the beach almost to yourself! Love that they offer doggy bags and a washing area near the front.

Was in town for the Fox Lea horse show with our lab. Watched our daughter ride in the show, then took our lab to the beach. Poo bags along the walk way, and showers near the exit. The waves are calmer than our home on the east coast near Fort Lauderdale, and it costs $ 7 to visit that beach. This beach is free, enjoy it before they start charging admission. A few people had their dogs on paddle boards. The water isn’t clear, and there’s sea weed near the shore, but don’t let that stop you.

It’s a GREAT place to bring your dogs when it’s not so busy. I have a couple of pitbulls that absolutely love going there but, it never fails, there’s always «pitbull haters» there whenever we manage to go…

We found this dog beach online, decided to drive an hour to get there. I must say it was well worthed. Not only is it a off leash dog park, but it’s a regular beach. Everyone cleaned up after their pets. It was cleaned and people so friendly.
I would highly recommend this beach for your four legged child… Lol.

First time here and loved, loved this place. Shaded dog park and then wooden boardwalk down to the beach. The crowd was so friendly and it was such a fun experience. I would much rather go to the dog beach opposed to the regular beach. Dogs make everything better!

Really a fantastic place to bring a dog. Poop bag dispensers, a flexible shower spray (located in the dog run) to remove sand and plenty of room for frolicking and play. One piece of advice we got on our first visit… The beach is best in the morning, until around 10:30 or 11, which is when the people who are there are really there for their dogs. After that, most people are there simply to be on a beach that will allow their dogs, and the canine population is a little less disciplined.

I love how easy it is to care for your pup ! there’s a washing station, play station, watering hole! of course on a crowded day it’s hard to share the rinsing station but everyone is very friendly ! and I love the bag dispenser for those accidents on the beach! Mako loved his day at the beach, he’s very friendly but VERY outgoing but no one seemed to mind !

This review is not only for the Paw Park, but for the entire Venice Beach Park that’s connected (depending on where you park to access the beach), as it’s really one long beach area that can go from somewhat crowded to the dog park to absolutely desolate.
Of all of the beaches that I have walked along on the Southwest Florida coast (and trust me, I’ve hit more than just a few), this is by far my favorite. There is something about Venice Beach that lures me back year after year. I just can’t get enough of it.
When you first enter the complex, there’s a restaurant and gathering area that’s near the pier section. Parking is ample there (and all parking is free!), but get there early if you want a spot in the very first bay. The further south you go along the beach complex, you’ll get to the dog park area, then a more frequented «umbrella» area and then ultimately a «wild» area where the hard-​core boogie-​boarders and walkers are, as the dunes and the surf almost become one, intermingled with rocks along the way.
I’ve hit up every area of this beach. The sand is different than other SW Florida beaches: it’s almost volcanic in that it’s black and white and gets extraordinarily hot as the day progresses. Shells are abundant and diverse, and if you’re looking for sharks’ teeth, this is a great place to find them. There are pretty decent waves here, unlike other southern FL beaches, but much will be dependent on weather and tidal conditions. Remember, it’s the Gulf, so don’t expect it to get the wave heights that you’d see if you were in the Atlantic or the Pacific.
Why do I love this beach so much? So easy to answer: because it hasn’t succumbed to the commercialism that is so prevalent in Southwest Florida. This is how a beach SHOULD look. I don’t see hi-​rises in the distance; parking is free; the beach itself isn’t packed so that you’re tripping over blankets and umbrellas; wildlife (birds and water) are easily observed. Areas are roped off for turtle nesting. It’s absolutely gorgeous. You can lose yourself in it and forget the outside world when you’re here.
But, alas, this is the beach where I have encountered my worst cases of sunburn. Despite slathering myself with sunblock, there is something about the sand and the surf here, along with the sun, that lends itself to deep-​frying everyone. Be aware.
Despite this one drawback, I keep coming back here every time I’m in the area. I can’t stay away, for Venice Beach is just too beautiful to pass by, whether you’re going with your two-​legged friends or your four-​legged friends for a fun day in the surf.

This and the cute shops in Venice are probably are favorite things in Venice. The dog beach is a really great size, and the sand and water is so pretty. You do have to watch out for other dogs. Last time we went here, there was quite an aggressive dog, and of course the owner was not very responsible when it came to this aggressive dog. I still feel that this is a very lovely organized dog park and beach.

This beach is amazing!!! Just leave your glassware at home.
As soon as you park you enter the typical dog park that includes grass, a water fountain, dog shower station (a hose hooked up to a faucet), shaded areas, and a table. Walk further and as soon as you hit the sand you are entering the dog play area of the beach. The dog play area is a very large part of the beach and also fairly far from the two legged folk further down the beach.
The water is amazing and the sand bar seems to spread further than what you’re comfortable swimming. It seemed very clean and people appeared to be abiding by the Dog Owner Rules 101 of picking up after their pet and throwing it away in a waste bin. If you’re out here on a hot sunny day for several hours make sure to wear something to protect your feet, because the sand can get really hot and feel like glass when you walk on the broken sea shells.
The people appeared to be nice and well aware of typical dog behavior on a beach. The beach had a wide range of ages and all kinds of people. Dogs were also very diverse in terms of breeds, size, and personality. There aren’t too many free toys on the beach, however it is typical for another dog to want what you’re throwing Fido. Everyone seems to watch out for each other’s dog here and seems to have a good handle on their own pups. Every now and then you’ll get a little strangler moseying around your dry space trying to cuddle, which I always found really sweet.
There’s an even balance between big bogs and small dogs. I brought my large puppy here who seemed to be average along with the other big contenders. People were very accommodating to him. However you do get some two-​legged folk from the other side of the beach walking a little to far into the dog play area and may hear a snide comment. This only happened to me once.
Overall, I had a great time here. I didn’t want to leave but I don’t think my skin would have gotten any redder. I spent a total of 4 hours here and loved every second of it. It definitely wiped out my pup for the rest of the evening.
Tips: Make sure to bring a camera, because you would want to capture those amazing moments your pup catches a ball, jumps into the waves, or runs up to you from the water. Also, make friends with other dog owners. It’ll come in handy as a sitter when your pup is wanting to take a break on the towel while you walk along the shore.
I would recommend this dog beach to everyone I know, especially those who have dogs who love to swim.