Notes from the parks

Practical, local and honest: what Florida heat does to paws, how boarding actually works, and where the good shade is.

Florida hazards A hurricane plan for your dog in Palm Beach County: the 72-hour checklist The kit, the evacuation zones by ZIP, the pet-friendly shelter rules and the three ways storm day actually goes. One quiet evening covers all of it. Care basics Pet tech that works in Boca Raton and Delray homes Cameras, feeders, fountains, litter robots and trackers, judged by what humidity, heat and hurricane season do to them in Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Rules and rights Flying to Europe with a dog or cat from Florida: 2026 rules Microchip before the rabies shot, 21 days to wait, 10 days on the certificate. The 2026 EU rules, plus what Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach can do. Florida heat Dogs and cats in cars: convertibles, windows, Florida heat What a closed car does in Boca Raton heat, what a convertible does instead, and the county ordinance that makes leaving a pet inside unlawful here. Care basics 10 dog and cat movies we recommend, and what we notice Our Instagram top ten, with what did not fit in a caption: which dogs really played the parts, which film will wreck you, and what to know first. New in town National Dog Day 2026 in South Florida: where to go Fee-waived adoptions through Sunday, a free dog festival in Juno Beach, and every legal dog beach from Pompano to Jupiter, checked and mapped. Rules and rights Joining a K-9 unit in Florida with your own dog You cannot enrol together, and the reason is liability rather than merit. The real Florida path to handler, and the working jobs your own dog can do. Rules and rights Witnessing a crime with a big dog: what Florida law says Florida law draws the line more precisely than owners expect: a dog defending you where it stands is protected, a dog sent after someone is not. Care basics Cruises and pets: what Florida ports really allow A reader flew in with a small dog and was refused at check-in. No line sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Port Canaveral takes pets, and why. Care basics Dogs on Florida trains: Brightline, Tri-Rail and Amtrak Three railroads run through Palm Beach and Broward and none of them agree about dogs. What each wrote down, where the stations are, what to pack. Care basics Dog and cat shampoo in Florida: what to read on the label Human shampoo is built for skin a hundred times more acidic than your dog's, on a barrier three times thinner. In Florida that stops being cosmetic. Care basics A week alone with an automatic feeder: what goes wrong The feeder keeps working. The water, the litter box and the cat are what break, and in a Florida condo the clock runs faster than you think.