IslandVibesIOP.com 14 FEATURE Continued on Page 15 By sheer happenstance we met longtime Isle of Palms resident Patty Randinelli while shooting photos for our August Island Vibes cover. Randinelli and her 10-year-old golden retriever, Piper, walk to the Pups in paradise Running wild and free on IOP’s beaches By Laura Fogarty beach every morning, and when Randinelli is babysitting her daughter Caroline’s dogs – 2-year-old Minnow and 4-year-old Palmer, she brings the entire, extraordinarily lucky and well-behaved trio for their morning ritual. Affectionately called the “matriarch” of the jubilant group, Piper kept perfect pace with her younger playmates as they enjoyed the off-leash hours at the beach. Each dog we met had a unique backstory. Palmer was a breeding mama in Romania, and it is unknown exactly how many litters she had while there. She was later sold to a breeder in Denver and had two litters before they stopped using her for breeding because of an eye condition called entropion. Randinelli explained, “It’s a painful condition where a dog’s eyelid rolls inward, causing fur and lashes to rub against the cornea.” After Palmer was rescued in Denver and brought to Mount Pleasant, veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Anne Cook performed the surgery to correct the condition. Randinelli’s daughter, a veterinarian at Charleston Harbor Veterinarians in downtown Charleston, adopted Palmer shortly thereafter. Now Palmer spends her days running along the beach, chasing tennis balls and swimming like an Olympian. We encountered several new friends including Dixon, an energetic Boykin spaniel; a hound dog named Copper who was quite vocal about her approval of her morning beach excursion; an Aussie named Dakota who wanted everyone to stay in one tight group; and two beautiful and playful mutts – Daisy BEACH RULES FOR DOGS Dogs must be on a leash with the following exceptions: Off-leash is permitted from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (April 1–Sept 14) and 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. (Sept 15– March 31) provided the owner has a leash in hand and the dog is strictly under voice command. Owners must clean up after their dogs. There are dog bag receptacles at most of the public beach access paths. All dogs that live or visit the island must be vaccinated against rabies and have a metal license tag attached to their collar with the name of the licensed veterinarian who provided the vaccine. Dog owners must also have a valid certificate of rabies vaccination readily available at all times. Residents are encouraged to obtain a dog permit from the Isle of Palms Police Department. Call (843) 886-6522 or stop by the department, located at 30 JC Long Blvd. Dog permits will be issued annually and are free of charge. Having a dog permit may facilitate the safe return of lost dogs. Dogs must be on a leash, under voice command and their owners must clean up after them. There are dog bag receptacles at most of the public beach access paths.
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