The weather is increasingly beautiful and KHS wants to encourage you to take your pet out and enjoy the lovely weather and our beautiful state!

Take your dog on an adventure!

Before you go on your adventure, make sure you and your pet are prepared.

Grab the leash! You may be confident that your dog will come when you call, but you don’t know what other animals you will meet when you are at a park or on a walk; for your pet’s safety, leash them. There are also many people who feel threatened by unfamiliar animals and it is important to respect their comfort as they try to enjoy the outdoors. And lastly, at many parks and other outdoor areas, keeping your dog leashed is the law!

Make sure you bring food and water for your pet! There are some pretty cool collapsible travel dog bowls on the market. These travel bowls are light and allow you to ensure your pet is staying hydrated.

Do not (ever) leave your dog in the car during the summer! Not even for 10 minutes! Plan your adventure so you don’t have to make any stops on the way that requires you to leave your dog unattended in the car. Cars can become deadly hot for our pups in the spring and summer.

Be a good citizen! Bring poop bags and pick up after your pet!!!

Now that you are ready, here are some ideas and resources for your adventure.

Go to the park! We have a ton of beautiful parks in Kitsap County and many of them are dog friendly (remember that leash though!). Keep in mind, Kitsap County restricts dogs from athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic sites and swimming beaches.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND: Pritchard Park, Battlepoint Park, Grand Forest, Gazzam Lake Preserve and Fort Ward Park.

POULSBO: Raab Park, Poulsbo’s Fish Park,  and American Legion Park/Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park.

NORTH KITSAP: The Hansville Greenway/Buck lake Park/Norwegian Point Park, North Kitsap Heritage Park, Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park, A Quiet Place Park, Carpenter Lake Natural Reserve, Point No Point Lighthouse and Park wand Indianola Waterfront and Woodland Preserve.

SEABECK: Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve and Nicks Lagoon.

BREMERTON: Bremerton Evergreen Rotary Park, N.A.D. Park/N.A.D. Marine Park, Forest Ridge Park and Stephenson Canyon.

 CENTRAL KITSAP: Newberry Hill Heritage Park, Illahee Preserve Heritage Park, Island Lake Park, Anderson Landing Park, Erlands Point Preserve, Green Mountain via Gold creek trail, Green Mountain via Wildcat trail and Chico Trail (Ueland Tree Farm, connects to both Green Mountain trails eventually, 7 miles to the summit, map recommended).

SILVERDALE: Clear Creek Trails and Silverdale Waterfront Park.

PORT ORCHARD & SOUTH KITSAP: South Kitsap regional Park, Banner Forest Heritage Park, Coulter Creek Heritage Park, Wicks Lake Park, Anderson Point Park, Harper Park and Veterans Memorial Park.

STATE PARKS: Manchester State Park, Illahee State Park, Kitsap Memorial State Park and Scenic Beach State Park.
Or visit www.visitkitsap.com/pet-friendly-places to search for more pet friendly parks.

Go on a hike! I love to hike and have taken my dogs with me several times to hike Green Mountain in Bremerton–they love the hike, the new smells and the adventure!

A great resource to find hikes is  www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes , hikes  are listed by region. Washington Trail Associations provides a dog symbol on dog friendly hikes. Another great resource is www.bringfido.com.

While you are choosing a hike, also keep in mind that some hikes are on ledges, can be very steep and may have a rocky path that is exposed to the sunlight, which is not good for your dog’s paws. Make sure to read the hike description to ensure it is one both you and your pup will enjoy safely!

Once you are on the trail, keep in mind National Parks and Forests are wildlife sanctuaries and make sure your dog is respecting the wildlife, including plants (do not let your dog wander off the trail).

Go grab a pint! Have you noticed how many awesome breweries there are in Kitsap? Many of our local breweries and tasting rooms are dog friendly! Staff have recently visited Wobbly Hopps, Bremerton; The Alehouse on Winslow, Bainbridge Island; and Valholl Brewing, Poulsbo; but there are many other dog friendly breweries in our area (and many restaurants with pet-friendly decks). Search for dog-friendly restaurants and breweries here: www.bringfido.com/restaurant.

KHS also has a fun event at different partnering breweries and restaurants, Pints for Pets, and often, pets are sometimes welcomed at these events (depending on the location). Keep an eye on Kitsap Humane Society’s Facebook page, facebook.com/kitsaphumanesociety, for the next Pints for Pets!

Have fun adventuring!