🐾 From the Stoop
Late July is when I stop pretending every outdoor event is equally worth it. My rule this week: go early, go late, and prioritize places with water, shade or air conditioning.
PAW Happy Hour is the best all-around plan, although my dog, Cozy, would probably vote for the $2 pup cups at the Tarpons. He does not have final editorial control—yet.
🍻The One Thing
PAW Happy Hour at Pinellas Ale Works
A drink after work is better when part of the tab helps local shelter animals. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and adoptable pets will be onsite meeting potential families.
Bring your dog if they are comfortable in a busy social setting. Have a reactive or easily overwhelmed pup? Go without them and support the cause anyway.
GIVES BACK · ADOPTABLE PETS · EVENING
📅 Thursday, July 30
🕒 6–8 PM
📍 Pinellas Ale Works · 1962 1st Avenue S, St. Petersburg
😀 Four More Worth Your Time
⚾ $2 Tail Waggin’ Tuesday with the Tampa Tarpons
The week’s best-value outing: $2 admission for you and your dog, plus $2 beers, hot dogs, sodas and pup cups through the second inning. It is more memorable than another bar night and affordable enough to bring the whole crew.
BUDGET PICK · FAMILY · PUP CUPS
📅 Tuesday, July 28
🕒 First pitch at 6:30 PM
📍 Tampa Tarpons at GMS Field
Dunedin Downtown Market
This is my market pick for Pinellas County. The summer version brings more than 50 local vendors to the Dunedin History Museum parking lot and officially welcomes dogs.
Arrive close to opening, browse for an hour, and leave before the pavement becomes the main attraction.
DOG-FRIENDLY · MARKET · FREE PARKING
📅 Saturday, August 1
🕒 9 AM–1 PM
📍 349 Main Street, Dunedin
John Perkins & The Band of Crickets Live
A proper Saturday-night plan for social dogs who enjoy a crowd. Mutts combines live music with cold drinks, food and multiple play areas, including its dog water park.
I would choose an earlier or quieter event for a dog that is nervous around amplified music.
LIVE MUSIC · WATER PLAY · 21+
📅 Saturday, August 1
🕒 7–10 PM
📍 Mutts & Martinis · 2900 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
🎟️ $6 per dog · Humans free
Sit, Stay, Down Dog!
An all-levels Sunday yoga class at The Dog Bar featuring adoptable HSTB puppies. This is the most unusual event of the week and a good choice when you want something more structured than standing around with a drink.
Register ahead and review The Dog Bar’s dog-entry requirements before attending.
YOGA · ADOPTABLE PUPPIES · 21+
📅 Sunday, August 2
🕒 10–11 AM
📍 The Dog Bar · 2300 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
🎟️ $25
📅 The Rest of the Week
More dog-friendly plans happening around Tampa Bay, at a glance.
Tuesday, July 28
Steve D’s Cheesesteaks · The Dog Bar · 5–9 PM
Wednesday, July 29
Lithuanian Food and More · The Dog Bar · 5–9 PM
Shevonne Live · Mutts & Martinis · 7–9 PM
Thursday, July 30
Saucin’ Wings · The Dog Bar · 5–9 PM
Friday, July 31
Go Stuff Urself · The Dog Bar · 5–9 PM
Saturday, August 1
Fresh Market at Wiregrass · Wesley Chapel · 9 AM–1 PM
Trinity Market · Generations Christian Church · 9 AM–1 PM
Petco Adoption Day · Pinellas Park · 10 AM–12 PM
PetSmart Adopt Joy Event · Walter’s Crossing · 12–4 PM
Sunday, August 2
Kenwood Sunday Market · St. Petersburg High School · 9 AM–1 PM
$25 Bottomless Mimosas · Mutts & Martinis · 10 AM–1 PM
Fresh Market at Hyde Park Village · Tampa · 10 AM–2 PM
🔁 The Regulars
A few weekly standbys do not need a new paragraph every time:
🧠 Trivia every Monday · The Dog Bar · 7–9 PM
🎱 Bingo every Tuesday · The Dog Bar · 6:30–9:30 PM
🥂 Girls Night every Wednesday and Friday · Mutts & Martinis · 5–9 PM
🌯 Wraps & ’Ritas Flights every Tuesday and Friday · Mutts & Martinis
📍SNIFF TEST: MUTTS & MARTINIS
Is it actually good for dogs?
➔ The setup: A chilled dog pool, shaded seating, large fans, and multiple off-leash play areas.
➔ The cost: Humans enter free. A standard dog day pass is $8, although some special events use separate pricing.
➔ Before you go: Register your dog and upload current rabies, Bordetella, parvovirus, and distemper records. Humans must be 21 or older.
My take: One of the better summer options for social dogs that enjoy water and group play. It is less suitable during live music or peak hours for dogs that are noise-sensitive, protective, or easily overwhelmed.
💧 Water play: Yes
🌳 Shade and fans: Yes
🚧 Off-leash areas: Yes
🍸 Humans 21+: Yes
❤️ Worth Knowing
Pebbles Food Bank
SPCA Tampa Bay provides free dog and cat food to Pinellas County residents experiencing unexpected financial hardship.
Call ahead to confirm food availability, especially if you need canned food or food for an animal other than a dog or cat.
📅 Tuesday, July 28
🕒 2–4 PM
📍 SPCA Tampa Bay · 9099 130th Avenue N, Largo
📞 727-324-4999
This is a community resource—not a social outing with your dog. Please share it with someone who may need it.
☀️ THE 20-SECOND HEAT CHECK
Do not make your dog prove they can handle a midday market.
Bring fresh water, prioritize shade, and keep time on hot asphalt short. Excessive panting, difficulty breathing, heavy drooling, weakness, or collapse can signal overheating. End the outing and contact a veterinarian if your dog appears distressed.
Early morning and evening plans win this time of year.
📸 Good Boy of the Week: Hummus
Meet Hummus, a Pomeranian from West Tampa with a serious talent for stealing socks and an even more serious love of bananas. He is sweet, affectionate, and convinced that every person he meets is a new best friend. In fact, if someone ever broke into the house, Hummus would probably greet the intruder with kisses instead of barking.
Favorite snack: Bananas
Favorite hobby: Sock theft
Security strategy: Kisses first, questions never
Want your dog featured next week? Reply to this email with one clear photo, their name, breed, Tampa Bay neighborhood, and one sentence about what makes them unforgettable.
Your dog could appear in the next Good Boy Guide, with full bragging rights.
📣 SEND THIS TO ONE DOG PARENT
Know someone who is always asking, “What should we do with the dog this weekend?”
Forward them this email. It takes five seconds and helps the Good Boy Guide find more Tampa Bay dog people.
Next week: The best dog-friendly day trips within an hour of Tampa.
Until next week… keep wagging! 🐶
