Brohard Beach

At first glance Brohard Beach in Venice looks like most Florida Gulf Coast beaches. Turquoise water, sunshine & blue skies, clean sandy beaches filled with seashells, shark's teeth, cool birds & plenty of beachgoers. But there's something special about Brohard Beach that makes visiting truly unique. It tops our list of favorite beaches.

​There are many public beaches on Manasota Key. All of them are fabulous. Venice, Casperson, Brohard, Manasota, Blind Pass, Englewood & Stump Pass Beach are all within a few miles of each other. So, what makes this beach special? Well, Brohard Beach is a designated doggy beach!

Access to Brohard Beach is through Brohard Paw Park. The park is a large fenced-in play area divided into two sections for large & small dogs. Brohard Beach & Paw Park is open daily from 7:00 am until dusk. All breeds are welcome, admission is free and so is the parking!

Double gates at the rear of Brohard Paw Park accesses the boardwalk to the beach. It's a short but scenic walk down a wide concrete sidewalk to the wooden boardwalk. The walkway is flanked by a small lake on one side & swampland on the other so there's a good chance you will see wildlife. Don't worry, everyone is safe within the fencing. We came prepared but if you decide to pop in on a whim there are plenty of trash cans & doggy-doo bags conveniently located here.

We didn't take any photos of Brohard Paw Park. Our hands were always full of leashes, beach gear & two extremely excited (or tired) puppies. But we all agree, the paw park is an awesome spot for families to enjoy. There is a pavilion, benches & picnic tables for humans. A drinking fountain, bathing station & plenty of room to run for the furry kids. Dogs are allowed off-leash once inside the fencing!

Tucker & Roxie's excitement level was off the charts when we arrived. New people to greet, fur friends to make & so many new sniffs! It was fun to watch their reactions to the ocean & doggy park. So many new sights, sounds & smells. Boxers are extremely smart. They understood this vacation was special time for our pack to enjoy together. Both were on their best behavior. Mama was so proud. Our two little country hounds were experiencing "city dog life" for the very first time. Living their best life and digging it! 

The pier in background is the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier, a 700 foot pier that offers free fishing without a license to all Florida residents & guests. It's located on Venice Beach in front of Sharky's on the Pier. More on that later in another post.

Tucker has been with us since he was a pup. We purchased him from a wonderful breeder near Port Huron, MI. We met on the road & took our little nugget back to Grandma & Grandpa Pillywiggins' farm for the weekend. It was there Tucker met my "sister" Belle, a whopping 100 pound Mastiff/Pitbull mix. Tucker immediately fell in love with Big Belle. She was his 1st girlfriend. Tucker has had an eye for the big girls ever since!

Tucker & Big Belle

Roxie was a year old when she came to us. She made the rounds as a pup! Born in Arkansas, she moved to Florida then to Midland, MI all in her 1st few months before our friend Marla found & rescued her. Unfortunately, Roxie was too high energy for Marla's two older Boxers. She asked us if we would give Roxie a good home. She's been with us 3 years now.

Tucker & Roxie's 1st Meeting

​Tucker & Roxie are best buddies!

So, imagine my surprise when our 2 bonded Boxers found new friends to play with at the beach & completely ignored each other! Upon arrival Tucker wanted to walk the full length of the beach to greet everyone. After he scoped out the scene, Tucker would choose the biggest female on the beach & try to goad her into playing. Tucker befriended a huge Great Dane on our first visit. He went crazy over her! In the video clips below Tucker makes friends with a female Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Roxie wasn't as picky with her playmates. She didn't bother to walk the beach. The first person or puppy she spotted with a ball was her new best friend. Period, end of story. Male, female, person or pup. Roxie did not care. She was going to push her way into the ballgame & play!

​Brohard Beach & Paw Park both have a really great vibe with a diverse mix of people & pets. All were friendly, relaxed & having the best time playing together.​ We took the kids to the beach several times during our month-long stay. It was fun for our whole family. No hassles, long lines or cranky children. I think it's time for Disney to give up the title. Brohard Beach is surely the happiest place on earth!

If you're familiar with Boxers you know they are HIGH ENERGY dogs that require a lot of exercise & attention. They prefer to spend time with their people & they want to be included in everything! Boxers are also very expressive with their emotions. They tend to get their nose out of joint if they feel they're being left out of the fun. They will look for mischief when bored. It's not much of a problem at home but when you're staying in someone else's fabulous home...it's something to consider.

Brohard Beach proved to be the perfect solution for us. When Jason & I wanted to go somewhere without our dogs, we'd start our day at Brohard Beach. It only took an hour or so to wear our kids out completely. Once home they would happily sleep the day away allowing Jason & I time to enjoy other activities.

If you're considering a fur family vacation, check out the the Englewood/Venice area. Several resorts, VRBO & AirB&B rentals on Manasota Key allow pets although some do have weight or breed restrictions so be sure to check before booking.

​Because we have large dogs that require a lot of exercise, we chose to stay on the north end of the key. It's quieter & more spread out. The south end of Manasota Key is more densely populated with bars, restaurants & people but they do have pet-friendly lodging available. We recommend booking at least a few days at Beachcomber of Manasota Key with or without pets. It's an awesome resort!

​Taking our furry kids on vacation was a great choice for us.
We had a wonderful time made even better because we were together.