What better way to enjoy a perfect spring afternoon than attending a baseball game with your best friends?
That’s what I thought as I pulled into the parking lot at Bright House Field in Clearwater for the first of this year’s Bark at the Ball Park events with Jana and Oriel. Jana took the title a bit too literally, barking merrily as we walked up to the ticket window. Once we were inside, she settled in to watch the game and nap in the sun, sporting her new red bandanna. Oriel was calmer, or perhaps just more focused on trying to steal some of my beer.
The Clearwater Threshers are offering pooches and their families three more chances to catch a game this summer: May 2, May 23, and June 27. All of the games start at 1 p.m.; gates open at noon.
I didn’t get them any peanuts or Cracker Jack, or even a hot dog, but the girls happily devoured their peanut-butter-flavored frozen yogurt dog treat. They enjoyed the chance to run the bases at the end of the game, too.
The dog-friendly game days are fundraisers for the Humane Society of Pinellas County; Twila Cole, the special events coordinator, says that between 400 and 600 dogs usually attend the ball game days. Dogs and their humans can sit anywhere in the stadium except a few carefully labeled “dog-free zone” sections, and a pet potty area is available.
During the game,
