Dog Island!

During February we stayed at a state park on St. George Island Florida. St. George Island is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. St. George Island was amazing and beautiful. It is on the Forgotten Coast near Apalachacola.

The next island over is Dog Island. Darla has become obsessed with Dog Island. It s smaller than St. George Island — a mile wide at the widest point and 7 miles long.

Darla read that it is a sanctuary for all breeds of dogs. The website says “Over 2,500 dogs are already enjoying a better life at Dog Island. Separated from the anxieties of urban life, dogs on Dog Island live a natural, healthy and happy life. They live with almost limitless space, and tens of thousands of rabbits, rodents and other natural prey. Surrounded by thousands of other dogs, this is the only place for them to be truly social and create healthy families. Dogs at Dog Island have another chance.”

I told her it was a hoax but she would not believe me. She said she wants to live free on Dog Island with others of her kind. Darla rented a boat — there is no bridge to Dog Island — and we went to investigate. There were about 10 houses on the island and an airstrip. No businesses, no place to stay. But, It was really nice. Not very many people and not very many dogs. A lot of birds. Darla was kind of bummed at first. But she got over and was thinking we should get a house on Dog Island. Then I reminded her about the hurricanes. It has been hit by several. Hurricane Michael in 2018 damaged most of the houses on Dog Island. But it also uncovered a couple of shipwrecks.

It is possible these were the ships uncovered by the hurricane. Darla told me that Dog Island and the whole area was really important during WWII. A lot of training went on there. They practiced invading Dog Island to prepare for the invasion of Normandy.

Darla thinks that is the Dog Island beach.

Darla was disappointed at first that there are not thousands of dogs on Dog Island. But, in the end, she said that she likes Dog Island just the way it is with almost no dogs or people on it.