RUSKIN, Fla. — Dr. Ott’s Off the Leash Dog Sanctuary opened over 20 years ago, after Dr. Harold Ott won an honorary mayor for a day contest and promised to create a dog park.
He got the idea from visiting dog parks in New York’s Central Park and Los Angeles.
WATCH Free dog sanctuary brings Ruskin community together for over 20 years
“I'd see all these dogs running around, and I thought, Wow, that's great for them. It's great for the people,” said Dr. Ott.
The park sits on three and a half acres of land.
“There was a really nice family that lived on this property, and they had like, three and a half acres, which was a perfect size, and they were moving to Manatee County. And so, we shook hands, and they sold it to me, and we turned it into a dog park,” said Dr. Ott.
"People love to come here because so many people today live in apartments and condos and have no backyard or small dog park. So, it gives them the opportunity for their dogs to run and play and for the people to socialize," said Dr. Ott.
Many of the visitors to the park don’t even have dogs, they just enjoy coming here and being part of the community.
The park is free to enjoy, receives no government funding, and relies entirely on donations.
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