Dog-Friendly Vero Beach

Here is the thing about this city, chartered in 1919 with 71 residents and renamed in 1925 when it became the seat of Indian River County: it has always been a place where people come to stay a while. The median age is 52.6. The median home value is $392,500. About 17 percent of housing units sit empty, many of them waiting for snowbirds and their retrievers. You do not build a town like this without planning for the dog.

Start at Vero Beach Dog Park, because that is the obvious one. 3449 Indian River Dr E, rated 4.7 from 817 reviews. This is the off-leash room, the place where the dogs do the talking and the humans just stand around holding bags. It is not the beach, but it is the warm-up.

The real show is the shoreline. Humiston Beach Park at 3000 Ocean Dr, 1134 reviews and a 4.7, sits right in the middle of the action. South Beach Park at 1702 Ocean Dr pulls a 4.8 from 3044 reviews, making it the most-reviewed spot on this list. Jaycee Park at 4200 Ocean Dr, 2848 reviews, another 4.7. These are the classic Vero beaches, wide and forgiving, where the sand gets in everything and nobody apologizes for it.

Go north and the crowds thin. Golden Sands Park at 10350 Jimmy Buffett Mem Hwy—yes, that Jimmy Buffett—holds a 4.7 from 1013 reviews. Wabasso Beach Park at 1808 Wabasso Beach Rd, 4.6 from 749, is the quieter option, the one where you might actually find a spot to throw the ball without hitting a stroller. Round Island Beach Park at 2200 South A1A, 4.7 from 931 reviews, and its neighbor Round Island Riverside Park, same address, 4.8 from 731, give you both salt and fresh water in one trip. That is the move locals make: beach first, then rinse off in the river.

When the sun gets too much, take the dog to shade. McKee Botanical Garden at 350 US-1, 4.7 from 3611 reviews, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not a dog park—keep the leash short—but it is the most civilized patch of green in the county. Riverside Park at 3280 Riverside Park Dr, 4.7 from 743 reviews, is the working-class alternative, all grass and river breeze.

Here is where the baseball comes in. The Dodgers trained in Vero Beach from 1948 to 2008, when Florida was still segregated. Jackie Robinson walked these same streets, and the complex that once carried the Dodger name became the Jackie Robinson Training Complex on January 2, 2019. You can walk your dog past that history. You cannot make that up.

Now, the dog is tired. You are not. That is what the bars are for. American Icon Brewery at 1133 19th Pl, 4.4 from 2411 reviews, is the big one, the converted building with the patio that always has a water bowl out. Filthy's Fine Cocktails & Beer at 1238 16th St, 4.3 from 850 reviews, is the darker, moodier choice. Grind and Grape at 925 Bougainvillea Ln, 4.1 from 754 reviews, skews wine and small plates. Vero Bowl - Lanes & Lounge at 929 14th Ln, 4.3 from 966 reviews, is exactly what it sounds like: bowling, dogs not allowed inside, but the parking lot is friendly.

One caution. This is not a cheap town. Median household income runs $67,351, but the median gross rent is $1,197 and 38.6 percent of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Unemployment sits at 2.9 percent, which means the people here work, and they work to afford the place. The citrus that made the Indian River name famous has been gutted by greening disease, but nobody here is leaving.

The dogs know. That is the thing. You will see it at South Beach Park at sunrise, the same dogs every day, the same owners, the same nod of recognition. Vero Beach is not a pit stop. It is a place where you stay, and if you stay, you bring the dog. That is the whole town in one sentence.