Pet-Friendly Activities in Shreveport-Bossier
Shreveport-Bossier is known for being an especially pet-friendly city with an array of activities you and your fur babies can participate in all year-round. So if you’re looking to get out and about with your fur baby in tow, here’s where to go.
If sitting outside on a patio enjoying your favorite beverage and eating yummy food is your thing, you’re in luck. Shreveport-Bossier breweries (and some restaurants) are known for welcoming your beloved four-legged friends in their outdoor spaces. The list of breweries and restaurants where you and your fur baby can enjoy the fun includes Flying Heart Brewing & Pub – Bossier City, Flames Mediterranean Restaurant, California Bar & Grill, The Seventh Tap, Marilynn’s Place, Cantina Loradeo, Ki’ Mexico, and Frank’s Pizza among others.
Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Pet Parade
Each year the Krewe of Barkus & Meoux host a pet parade and vendor market during Mardi Gras season. Hundreds of families near and far dress up their furry friends head to paw in their Mardi Gras best costumes to take part in the Krewe of Barkus & Meoux annual walking pet parade in Shreveport-Bossier. At the Krewe of Barkus & Meoux annual walking pet parade, you are certain to see more than just dogs and cats. You might see miniature donkeys, birds, turtles, and a baby kangaroo. Krewe of Barkus and Meaoux is held annually in the month of February. In 2024, the Krewe of Barkus & Meoux annual Pet Parade will be held on Feb 4.
In addition to hosting their annual Pet Parade, the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux host annual events year round that raise funds for local rescues with veterinary care, food, shelter, and finding new homes for abandoned animals. If you are interested in attending the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Paw Parade on your next visit to Shreveport-Bossier, please visit here for up to date information.
The Fast and Furriest 5k Color and Fun Run
Want a great way to continue your new year’s resolutions and help great causes? Come join in all the fun at the Annual 5k Color and Fun Run at Stoner boat launch in Shreveport! At the 5k Color and Fun Run vendors are stationed at the run with tons of free stuff for the pets, and ways to make a monetary donation for local rescues. The Fast and Furriest 5k/Fun Run will be held on March 9, 2024.
Pet Palooza at Louisiana Boardwalk
Bring your dog to the Louisiana Boardwalk! The 2023 Pet Palooza will take place on Saturday, September 29 at the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City, LA from 1:00- 5:00pm. Explore pet-focused vendors and pet adoption opportunities sponsored by Hollywood Feed from local animal rescues!
Who let the dogs out? You did! Come enjoy an evening full of laughs, cheers and hockey with your lovable dog at the annual Pooches on the Pond night with the Shreveport Mudbugs. Pooches on the Pond is the one game a year where everyone can bring their best fur friend to the hockey game. During the game, the dogs and owners are invited out onto the ice to take part in a dog parade, where one lucky dog will be crowned this year’s champion based on crowd applause. Pups also get in for FREE! Pooches on the Pond is a one night event. It is held at George’s Pond at the Hirsch Coliseum.
It’s time to break out of our homes and get tons of fresh fruit and veggies at the Bossier City Farmers Market. The Bossier City Farmers Market is open each and every Saturday from 9 am – 1 pm through November in the south parking lot of Pierre Bossier Mall with tons of local vendors, live music, food trucks, free parking, free admission, and it’s even pet-friendly. To see the constantly updated vendors list, join the Bossier City Farmers Market Facebook page. Pierre Bossier Mall is conveniently located at 2950 E. Texas St. on the south side of Pierre Bossier Mall. (I-20 & Airline/ Airline & E. Texas).
Shreveport Dog Park is the perfect spot to bring Fido for some off-leash fun! This regional dog park is located on the inside of the Stoner Boat Launch Facility. Located in an active area of the riverfront, this almost 4 acre area provides a park for people with seating and a scenic overlook of the river, and a fenced area for those with dogs. Separate large and small dog sides are included. The facility has bathrooms and ample parking.The dog park is open 7 days a week during daylight hours. Summer hours are 6am -10pm. Shreveport Dog Park is located at 857 East Stoner, Shreveport, LA.
Lake Bistineau State Park is dog-friendly. This pretty park borders a lake and has great views of the Bayou and the surrounding area. Most of the park is covered in a thick hardwood forest that you and Fido can explore on the Willis Homestead Trail, which is a 3.8 mile trail that goes up and down the hills and through forests. Alternatively, you can try the Blue Wing Trail, Koasati Trail, and Pintail Loop Trail. Remember to keep Fido on a leash under six feet in length for the duration of their visit and clean up any mess after them. Lake Bistineau State Park is open Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm and Friday to Saturday from 8am to 10pm. Lake Bistineau State Park is located at 103 State Park Road, Doyline, LA, US, 71023. Call (318) 745-3503 for more information.
Red River National Wildlife Refuge
Ready for your next hike or bike ride? Explore one of 3 easy hiking trails in Red River National Wildlife Refuge that are great for the whole family, including your four legged furry friends. Looking for a more strenuous hike? They got you covered, with trails ranging from 29 to 39 feet in elevation gain. Whatever you have planned for the day, you can find the perfect trail for you and your fur baby on your next trip to Red River National Wildlife Refuge. Red River National Wildlife Refuge is located at 150 Eagle Bend Point, Bossier City, LA 71112.
Explore the nation’s largest park dedicated to roses at the American Rose Center. The American Rose Center is a rose garden in Shreveport. It is owned and operated by The American Rose Society. There are over 20,000 rose bushes of 100 varieties in 65 separate rose gardens on 118 acres of pine forests and woodlands. Leashed dogs are welcome to join their owners through the 118 acre park of walking trails that wind around the beautiful gardens. The gardens feature roses of all types: the most modern hybrid tea roses, miniature roses, single petaled roses, heritage roses and species. It also features a variety of companion plants, sculptures and fountains. Annual events include an Easter Egg Hunt, Evening of Wine & Roses, horticulture symposiums, Green Thumb seminars, Spring Bloom, Angel of Hope Candlelight and Healing Ceremony annually on December 6, and Christmas in Roseland held in the gardens in December for the past 35 years. The American Rose Center is located at 8877 Jefferson Paige Rd, Shreveport, LA 71119.
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses an exceptional collection of art spanning more than four millennia. Since its opening in 1966, the museum has become particularly well-known around the country for its impressive collections of works by those titans of western art, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Surrounding the R.W. Norton Art Gallery are 40 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and botanical gardens, where tens of thousands of plants, including several thousand of introduced and native azaleas burst forth in spring. The gardens are set among gentle swells of land, shaded by tall columns of venerable pines and oaks. Beneath them, a stream tumbles down slopes, and splashes into a reflective pond spanned by an arched bridge. Paths wind through the flowers, their meander accented with the outdoor sculptures of wildlife. Here and there, garden benches await – – perfect for a afternoon stroll with your four legged pet, reading, watching birds, and listening to the breezes in the high crowns of trees. The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is located at 4747 Creswell Ave., Shreveport.
