Charleston’s a very dog friendly city, as is the Isle of Palms.  Just stroll the beach and you’ll immediately see proof positive. 

And here at Exclusive Properties, we're also quite pet friendly.  Several of our Isle of Palms rentals allow you to bring along man/woman’s best friend for your stay at the beach.  More about that in a minute.

In the upcoming months leading into spring, there are some terrific festivals and events geared toward pet lovers.  And yes, you can definitely bring your pup along to enjoy the fun!

Here are three good ones, in chronological order:

Pup Bowl IX at Towne Centre

We’re in the home stretch leading up to the Super Bowl, Sunday, February 8th.  And as any good animal lover knows, Animal Planet also hosts an adorable four-legged version on Super Bowl Sunday – Puppy Bowl, brimming over with canine cuteness.

Well, here in the Lowcountry, we have our own homegrown version on Super Bowl Saturday (February 7th ).  And get this – it’s just across the Isle of Palms Connector from your Charleston beach house.  Called Pup Bowl IX, it’s a furry fun fundraiser hosted by the good folks at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, the popular open air shopping area.  As you can guess by the name, it’s in its ninth year.       

The action’s centered at The Oaks, under the majestic trees in front of Barnes and Noble, where adorable adoptable pups will duke it out – I mean, romp around and play -  on the turf.  Emcee Silvana Bravo will call the event, with a pep band, the National Anthem, plenty of live music plus a DJ, a halftime show by The Novatones, kids’ activities, pet vendors and booths of all kinds, plus lots of food and drinks for purchase.  Advance tickets are just $10, or $15 at the door, and 100% of the ticket price for Pup Bowl IX goes to the Charleston Animal Society.      

FYI - Towne Centre also hosts another neat event called Paws on the Patio on certain Thursday evenings in spring and fall.  You and your dog are invited to Burton’s Grill & Bar, a really good restaurant on Highway 17 in front of Towne Centre.  They’ll have libations and delicious bites for the humans, and some for the pups, too.  A chunk of your ticket price goes as a donation to the Charleston Animal Society.  It’s always a lot of fun, and a great place to meet the locals, both two-legged and four.  Exact dates for 2026 haven’t been announced yet, so stay tuned. 

SEWE

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (aka SEWE) is Charleston’s largest festival and is dedicated to animals and wildlife of all kinds.  Now in its 44th year, it takes place over three day weekend in mid-February (February 13th-15th, 2026), drawing visitors from around the planet to venues around the city, like The Gaillard and Charleston Place, with its world-class wildlife art exhibits.

Two major venues are particularly pet friendly:

• Marion Square  -  This open-air square in the heart of downtown is SEWE central, with tents galore for exhibitors (many animal related), vendors, chefs and artisans, plus Certified in SC which features delicious local products.   Right in the center is the field for the very popular events like the Center for Birds of Prey flight demos, where you can have fun and learn a lot, watching rescued raptors fly high above the Holy City before returning back to earth.

• Brittlebank Park  -  My personal favorite, considering it’s filled with dogs and dog lovers.  Spectate or better yet sign your dog up to be one of the flying DockDogs, a sanctioned two-tank competition.  Other faves are the demos by the Sheep & Duck Herding Border Collies, countless exhibitors and vendors at the Sporting Village and the Marine Village, plus a popular Kid Zone with pony rides, exotic petting zoo, inflatables and more. 

Paws in the Park & Chili Cookoff

The Charleston Animal Society has been around for over 150 years, working tirelessly on behalf on animals in need of homes, care and love.  Sadly here in the South, most animal shelters still routinely euthanize animals due to overcrowding.  The Charleston Animal Society is on a mission to establish a no-kill policy in the state, and they are making great headway.

Their biggest fundraiser of the year is called Paws in the Park, and it’s always a ton of fun for a great cause.  Here’s what’s on tap:

• When/where: Saturday, March 21st from noon till 4:00 p.m. at Brittlebank Park in  downtown Charleston (the same venue as SEWE DockDogs);
• Giant Oyster Roast with all-you-can-eat fresh oysters it is oyster season, after all);
• Chili Cook-Off: Sample delicious chili from Charleston’s top restaurants and vote for your favorite!
• Live Music including headliner Flashmob;
• Adoption Zone with plenty of adorable adoptable dogs;
• Barks & Brews tasting area with craft beers from the Lowcountry's best breweries;
• Proceeds from ticket sales go to the lifesaving work of the CAS.

Where to stay with your pet?

…in one of Exclusive Properties’ pet friendly Isle of Palms vacation rentals, of course! 

We have 16 beautiful beach homes which are pet friendly.

They range in size from Port of Call with 11 bedrooms, down to Lime Cabana with four bedrooms.  Several are oceanfront, some oceanview or a bit inland.  Stay on popular Palm Boulevard, or on more quiet streets like Ocean Boulevard (at Sunsational)  or 57th Avenue. 

Just contact us, and we’ll help put you and your pup in the perfect place.

All best,
Lowcountry Lisa

your Isle of Palms vacation blogger