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Everything's beachy at waterfront dog park
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| By GEORGE WILKENS | The Tampa Tribune
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TAMPA - Every dog has its day — so why not spend it at the beach?
The popular Davis Islands dog park, the city's first with a beach, soon will undergo improvements.
The narrow strip of beachfront with magnificent views of downtown Tampa was made available a decade ago through an easement from the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which assured the dog park would not interfere with operations at nearby Peter O. Knight Airport.
The 1.9-acre fenced site, however, has lost beach sand through the years. The city plans to replenish 200-plus feet of the sandy coastline, but not before erosion safeguards are in place.
An offshore rip-rap barrier will be installed to reduce the impact of waves and boat wakes. Then tons of sand will be trucked in.
Engineers have completed environmental evaluations and construction documents to accompany applications for permits, said city landscape architect Laurie Potier-Brown. Construction is expected to proceed next year, she said.
The disappearing sand has not discouraged the park's two- and four-legged visitors.
Hyde Park resident Cynthia Davis and her two dogs often spend an hour or more at the beach.
It's a favorite haunt of the two mixed-breed dogs she adopted at animal shelters when they were pups.
"I have to do this all day," Davis said as she once again prepared to hurl a tennis ball into Hillsborough Bay for 8-year-old Andre to retrieve. "Otherwise, he'll just stand there and stare at me."
When the bright-green orb is airborne, Andre hurtles into the chilly water in vigorous pursuit of the bobbing ball.
For Titan, 6, a day at the beach means more wading than swimming, plus some exploring.
"He finds shells and rocks on the bottom and tries to bring them to the surface," usually with little success, said Davis, a former Tampa General Hospital burn unit nurse now working for a local plastic surgeon.
Due to the park's popularity, visiting dogs often make new canine friends. Davis has seen as many as 20 dogs cavorting on the small beach. "It gets a little crazy with that many," she said.
On a recent weekday the Davis dogs enjoyed the company of Caesar, a playful miniature Doberman pinscher brought to the beach by Hank Ambrose, the father of Caesar's owner.
"We love it," said Ambrose, as he prepared to carry the small dog to his car following a rambunctious outing. "He was chasing the other boys, the big boys."
The now-shivering Caesar also had enjoyed a dip in the chilly water. "He floats around out there like a fish," Ambrose said of the 8-year-old pooch owned by his son, Jason, a University of South Florida student working toward his doctorate degree in public health.
Ambrose, a resident of the small northeastern Pennsylvania town of Mountaintop, is enjoying his third winter at his son's North Tampa home. While there are other dog parks closer to the residence, "This one seems to be nicer," and, as a bonus, the saltwater kills any fleas, Ambrose said.
Dedicated as Memorial Dog Beach, the park at 1002 Severn Ave. includes a plaque honoring the late Marion R. "Doc" Avery, one of Tampa's earliest veterinarians. In 1956, Avery received a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the state board of veterinary examiners.
When questioned about his long hours caring for animals, Avery said: "When our maker created animals, he expected them to be cared for, and that's my calling."
Avery died March 1, 2001.
Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 259-7124
©2010 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC |
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