DESTIN — The saying goes that you’re known by the company you keep. Perhaps that’s why Jim Wilson is known as “Jim and his girls.”
For the last several years Wilson, of Rochester, N.Y., has gone everywhere with his girls Abby, Chloe and Becca, his Shetland sheepdogs.
On any given morning along Scenic Highway 98 in Destin, dozens of snowbirds can be spotted walking with their pets that traveled with them days, nights and thousands of miles to get to the Emerald Coast.
The dogs are their friends, vacation comrades and family.
“It’s a lot easier than what you might think,” Wilson said as he held tight to the three leashes restraining his small dogs. “We always take them with us.
“People that know me know that if they want me they have to welcome the dogs. I try not to go anywhere without them.”
Many vacationers take their dogs out three to five times each day.
Pat Brurnback of Clarkston, Mich., says her day starts with hugs and kisses in bed from her 4-year-old golden retriever Scamp. She then grabs the “poop bag” and heads out the door for her five-mile morning walk.
She says she prefers to go to restaurants that cater to dogs, such as Camille’s by the beach. In the afternoons she and Scamp tour the same paths for another several miles.
“It’s wonderful having him with us,” Brurnback said. “It’s such a joy to see him run around the pool and just smile."
Her friend and travel companion, Maryann Hennign, says her 11-year-old dog Sally is not able to go as far as Scamp. The dog goes on what Maryann calls “senior walks.”
“Anytime I can include Sally in my travel plans, I do,” Hennign said. “I have to baby her a little, but it’s important that we make her feel like she’s a part of everything.
“She’s very happy to be here and very comfortable.”
On a sunny Wednesday, Jack Churney from London, Ontario, hobbled with a broken foot while walking Willow, his 3-year-old Australian labradoodle. He said his Jeep Cherokee was converted into a cozy home with the dog’s bed in the middle.
“She travels better than my children used to,” Churney said, laughing. “She comes with us most places we go. The key is looking ahead and finding out what places are dog friendly.”
Churney says his day does not fully revolve around his dog, just his mornings and some time in the afternoon and evening. He says he likes to take her for morning walks, play fetch at a local park and keep her in the car with the window cracked when he’s eating out with his wife.
“We really rely on each other,” Churney said as he petted Willow. “Dogs are very loving, very forgiving. There’s a good bond between the dog and its owner. She makes us laugh and comforts us and I think we do the same for her.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.