Preserving Our Freedoms for Outdoor Recreation With Our Canine Companions
Welcome to Bay Families with Dogs
Bay Families with Dogs is a non-profit advocacy group formed to improve the community environment for people who enjoy outdoor recreation with their dogs. Goals include better education and awareness for both dog owners and the non-dog owning community, and to obtain and maintain recreation zones on area beaches for Bay County families to enjoy responsibly with their dogs.
About Us
Bay Families with Dogs is a non-profit advocacy group formed to improve the community environment for people who enjoy outdoor recreation with their dogs. Goals include better education and awareness for both dog owners and the non-dog owning community, and to obtain and maintain recreation zones on area beaches for Bay County families to enjoy responsibly with their dogs.
Join Our Sister Organization
Join Our Sister Organization, Friends of Shell Island. While Bay Families with Dogs was formed to fight for our continued access to Shell Island (Panama City, Florida) with our dogs, we have received a huge amount of support from boaters who don’t even have a dog, but are concerned about their continued recreational access. As a result, they formed “Friends of Shell Island” to support anyone who is interested in maintaining our access to Shell Island in the future (dog or no-dog). Please join our sister organization, Friends of Shell Island, now!
Bay Families with Dogs held a dog-friendly event on the Gulf of Mexico, Saturday October 21, 2017
The Barktoberfest Beach Bash was held at the dog-friendly Hook’d Pier Bar and Grill and featured raffles, prizes, contests (costumes, owner lookalike, best tricks, and doggie ice cream eating), live music, and photos with your dog on the world’s most beautiful beaches. Adjacent to the Panama City Beach dog beach so you and your pooch could dig your toes into the snow-white sands. Proceeds went to Bay Families with Dogs to help us get more dog-friendly beaches and venues, and the Heartland Rescue Ranch to save neglected and abandoned animals in the area.
Shell Island - Reclaiming Our Access
You can take your dog by boat to Shell Island (off Panama City, Florida) due to Bay Families with Dogs members’ efforts in 2006. Head to the center point of the island (where all the boats anchor). This section is a residential subdivision called “Spanish Ante.” It is NOT a State Park in this area. If you don’t have a boat, check out the pet-friendly charters and boat rentals on our Community page.
In the summer of 2006, a controversial decision by the State of Florida sparked the formation of Bay Families with Dogs. Citizens who had been enjoying the shores of Shell Island (off Panama City, FL) for generations with their dogs along were forced off the island by armed patrols making criminal charges. As the controversy raged, the Bay County Commission voted unanimously to ask the State to work with them on a solution for recreational access at Shell Island as well as on some mainland beach areas. In 2006, the state held a public meeting in Panama City that drew a huge turnout in favor of restoring the generations-old recreational access these families cherish. The state park updated its park management plan in the spring of 2016, and added authority for its personnel to close off waters 50 feet from shore, but only for “public safety” risks. This should not impact your ability to visit Shell Island with your dog in the water, on the wet sand, on county roads or private property. If any park personnel engage you and/or try to restrict your access, please get their name, agency, what authority they believe they have, and report it to us. Please video the encounter. You can reach us at info@bayfwd.org.
Other Local Public Access Topics
Dog Beaches:
Sign the petition here to show your support for keeping this dog beach and adding others.
Dog-Friendly Public Spaces:
Panama City Beach:
- Pier Park
- Frank Brown Park
- Panama City Beach Conservation Park and Gayle’s Trails
Panama City:
- Al Helms Dog Park
Panama City, Florida now has a top-notch dog park, just blocks away from the quaint historic downtown and the St. Andrews Bay. Featuring small dog and large dog sections, benches, a gazebo and fire hydrant watering stations, this park is a must for dog-loving visitors to the area. 1022 Balboa Avenue, Panama City, Florida.