Liza Jackson Dog Park — Attraction in Fort Walton Beach

The Ft Walton Bch Dog Park has the Potential to be a really Nice place . However, There are NO BENCHES left that are unbroken. I think only 2 which are semi-usable on the Big Dog side . But they are broken and on the way out . If the City Supplied the Wood & Supplies , I know of a few people who would volunteer their time to build benches that would be there much longer than a few months .(Average time Plastic Benches last) Certainly at cheaper cost than those plastic kid''s benches.

The Homeless camp went away when they cut down the brush at water-side, but soon will be back as everything has almost grown back .

There is NO trash can down by the water , so a large amount of "forgotten" used poop bags adorn the Bch.

The Pavilion is another thing. Groups who come there for planned parties , grill out , then have NO WHERE to put their Charcoal remnants . (you cannot take hot coals with you in the car when you leave). So , hot coals are dumped on the ground, right next to walk-ways . HOT Coals are just a disaster waiting to happen for any barefoot kids OR DOGS to walk through. Not to mention Messy . It would take very little to build a cement place for used coals to be put out of the way . A Deposit should be taken for these groups , and ID of SOMEONE who is held responsible , because the majority of trash on the grounds comes from that Pavilion . Overflowing Trashcans is NO EXCUSE. If they don't leave it as nice as they found it , then they lose the deposit , which is used for clean-up. The woman who comes Monday to pick-up trash checks for the condition , and reports accordingly. SIMPLE.

It is nice that the FWB Police Dept. comes by semi-regularly and just walks...

On the the small side, but still plenty of room. There are two separate fenced areas, plus a small unfenced beach. Could use more seating areas. There's also a convenient wash station to rinse off. For the most part, friendly people and dogs.

1st PSA - Do NOT come here with your dog and then proceed to sit on your phone and not pay attention to your dog. They can become a nuisance/make trouble/start a fight, when you're not watching their behavior and energy level, EVEN overzealous friendly dogs can start problems. I've observed this frequently. One must constantly observe their dog and know when to redirect/remove them from a situation, as well as observe other dogs, and their energy levels and reactions, in order to prevent potential issues.

2nd PSA - This is NOT a children's space!!!Go next door with your kids! Don't come here with little people to watch the dogs; this is a place for dogs to run, they WILL knock your child over. Also, children reach out to touch dogs without asking, and/or don't know how to respect a dog's space and boundaries - that is a recipe for disaster with some dogs, and they don't need to be put in that situation. This is not a space for children, it is a...

Pros: Friendly people and dogs that's our golden retriever / Siberian husky mixed puppy laying down after a bigger dog ran her over coming out of the water 😂 first time she's been knocked down she didn't know what to think. Good experience overall puppy is now taking one of the longest naps since she a couple of months ago when she was a real baby.

Want to meet dog lovers and get energy out of your dogs this is the place. Watch out for dog droppings of course. That's to be expected.

4 stars four atmosphere, owners, water spouts, clean station, and sitting areas.

Cons:

Not much for the dogs to play with or on.

Two things I didn't like. Skateboarders right next to the big pen and jungle gym. The sounds of the boards scraping really scared her. There was also a random guy that was taking pictures with his cell phone of some puppies followed ours to the very end of the pen then walked away as I approached. Could be just paranoia but something seemed off. However with all the dogs mainly sticking together and owners chatting and watching as they play it would be unlikely for a dog knapping. Just my observation and feeling something was off with that...