Training Academy

ALERT: Due to significant issues with the fencing, we do not recommend use of this dog park.  The fencing is in a state of disrepair that allows for pets to easily escape.  Due to the ease of escape and presence of construction, traffic, water, and wildlife surrounding the dog park, the risk is very great that a loose dog could be seriously injured or worse.

We visited Bellalago’s dog park. As with all the dog parks, it had been a while since we’d visited Bellalago’s.  As noted above, we currently recommend that dog owners not use this park for safety reasons.  It would appear that dog owners have already reached this same conclusion because we found no evidence of use and no fecal samples were found or collected.

Bellalago's Dog Park

Fecal Results – no samples were found or collected (hookworms have been found in the past and are likely still present)

Recommendations –

What your pet needs to be their safest at the Bellalago Dog Park –

• Be up to date on vaccinations including rabies, distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, leptospirosis, and Bordetella. You may wish to ask your veterinarian if the canine flu vaccine is recommended.
• Heartworm protection – mosquitos are definitely present in EVERY dog park. Mosquitos carry heartworms which can cause significant health problems for your dog! We usually recommend HeartGard or ProHeart products.
• Flea and tick protection – fleas and ticks are common when outdoors. They can also be carried by other dogs which share the dog park. They can live on plants, tunnels, and play items just waiting for your dog to come by! We usually recommend NexGard.
• Fresh water in a clean bowl – Take your own water and bowl.  Do not use the auto refilling bowls.  This will help minimize any exposure to Coccidia, a common microscopic parasite which can cause severe diarrhea. We have FREE collapsible bowls at the hospital. Stop by and pick one up!
• Attention – Dogs not only enjoy interacting with their favorite humans, but need that attention to make sure they don’t get in to other trouble! Among other things, pay particular attention to what they’re putting in their mouths or eating, when they’re around other dogs, and when they’re around possible points of escape/egress.

NOTES:

WATER BOWLS: In the past, we have had very strong feelings about the auto-refilling bowls here. They appear to be no longer be functional.  There are hose bibs at the park.  We did not check to see if they are functional.  We strongly recommend that owners bring water from home and clean bowls.  We’d like to see doggy drinking fountains installed which allow dogs to drink from an arch of water – similar to human drinking fountains.

Dogs drinking from unsafe bowls are at increased risk for common water borne diseases like Leptospirosis and Coccidia. These diseases are spread by wildlife like birds and raccoons. There were birds and wildlife present nearby. Again, this issue can easily be avoided by using personal bowls that can be cleaned between uses. We have portable folding drinking bowls available for your pet at the hospital. Please feel free to stop by and pick one up. They’re FREE!

The platforms we had concerns about before are still there.  Please use caution as wildlife can find shelter underneath them. While this isn’t problematic for most critters, snakes can be VERY dangerous. We’d encourage owners to carefully and safely check around the platforms for signs that something might be living under it or other safety issues. In the event of a snake bite, please remember that time is critical. We are the closest source of antivenin. As soon as the bite occurs, please safely take a photo of the snake (Do NOT bring us the snake!), call us to let us know you’re on the way, and bring the pet here immediately! Do not delay as seconds can count with bites to the face, neck, or near major organs!

Coccidia is a tough one to prevent as it is so easily spread by wildlife. As wildlife often use water bowls and puddles as baths, dogs should not be allowed to drink from unclean bowls or standing water. It will result in diarrhea. Beyond not allowing pets to drink from contaminated sources, there is no prevention for Coccidia. Medical treatment is required. Again, use of a personal bowl is recommended.

Leptospirosis is a disease that can be spread to humans, but it can be easily prevented by making sure your dog is up to date on their vaccines. Lepto can easily be prevented with vaccination. Also, providing clean drinking water and bowls to your dog will help reduce the risk.

FENCING: Due to previous fencing issues, we already had a section for addressing fencing.  We recommend that pet owners check the fencing by pushing on the bottom of the fencing with their foot.  The bottom of the fencing should not move much under reasonable force.  The goal is to mimic a dog pushing underneath.  If a reasonable amount of force causes the fence to raise enough that a dog could push underneath, then the park is not safe to use.  Remember that dogs only need a handful of inches to squeeze through a space!  We used this test and found nearly every section of fencing we tested to be deficient.

SURROUNDINGS: We normally don’t address this but felt it appropriate to do so in this situation.  There is construction occurring VERY close to the dog park.  Construction can come with loud noises, strange smells, and additional dangers.  Of these dangers, the loud noises can be the scariest for dogs.  A dump truck using its tail gate to clear the bed, powder-actuated hammers, a loud backhoe, or a nail gun can all create sudden loud noises which dogs can easily find startling.  We would recommend that owners use extreme caution exposing their dogs to such a situation.  It can result in behavior issues, anxiety, fear of the dog park or the outdoors, and could cause unexpected, violent behavior towards other pets and humans – including the owner!  Loud noises can also cause animals to run.  Combined with the fencing issues, this is a tragedy waiting to happen!  Construction appears to be a way of life in Bellalago so dog owners should use their best judgment and knowledge of their pet to determine if it would be safe to expose the pet to the loud noises (assuming the fence is repaired).  Some pets may not react at all.

TREATS: The HOA appears to have installed treat boxes at the entrance to the dog park.  We’d noted this in past visits.  The boxes this time were mostly empty, but did have a lot of ants present in them.  One did have a few treats left in the box.  Upon examination, the treats appeared to have become wet at some point and were also covered in ants.  Wet treats can cause mold, mildews, and other dangerous things to grow on the treats.  Of course, ants are also not good!  We would not recommend giving the treats (as we found them) to pets.  (We are not commenting on the appropriateness or nutritional value of the treats in general.  Not enough information is known about them.)

HOOKWORMS: Hookworms were not found this time, but have been found in the past. Hookworm eggs can survive in the soil for years so once they are present, they will always be a threat! Hookworms can be prevented with products like HeartGard, Sentinel Spectrum, or ProHeart 6. Having your dog on a preventative is important! Hookworms can be spread to humans! For more information, give us a call.

HEARTWORMS: Mosquitos were present and are present just about everywhere in Florida. Mosquitos carry heartworms which are VERY present in the local area. We have a lot of patients who are heartworm positive which can have a significant negative impact on quality of life and life expectancy! Heartworms can be easily prevented with products like HeartGard, Sentinel Spectrum, or ProHeart 6. For more information about Heartworm prevention, give us a call!

Prevention is the best strategy to keep your pet happy and healthy! Give us a call so we can ensure your pet's well-being before they head to the park!

ACORNS: During certain times of year, the oak trees will drop lots of acorns. There are several beautiful oak trees providing shade to the park. Unfortunately, dogs like to eat acorns and these can make them sick. In fact, acorns can be toxic in larger quantities. Even single acorns can become an obstruction in the body and cause health issues. Much like mosquitoes, acorns are a fact of life in Florida. Again, it is important to monitor your dog to prevent eating acorns.

METHODOLOGY: If we had found samples, we would have selected small amounts from the many samples we collected. We would have run them using protocols which met or exceeded AAHA’s recommendations and standards.  Depending on the method chosen, results may have been confirmed using artificial intelligence and/or a parasitologist.