By Rich Pollack
If your dog is a hot dog after a long walk, the town of Highland Beach soon may have a cool way for Fido or Fifi to cool down.
Town officials are exploring the idea of purchasing a three-tiered water fountain — complete with a special spigot for pets — that would replace a 15-year-old drinking fountain in front of Town Hall, adjacent to Highland Beach’s popular walking path.
“There are hundreds of people who use that walking path, and many of them have dogs,” said Town Manager Kathleen Weiser, who is pricing the specialty bubblers at the request of commissioners.
The three-tier fountain, which includes one level for adults, one for children or those in wheelchairs, and a ground-level pet fountain that can be controlled from the top by the pet’s walker, is estimated to run the town between $2,500 and $3,000.
The idea bubbled up when commissioners and town officials attended a recent Florida League of Cities conference in Hollywood and saw the fountain on display in the vendor exhibition area.
Available as an attachment to regular water fountains, pet fountains have been offered by the company exhibiting them at the conference — Most Dependable Fountains — for about 15 years, according to national sales manager Vince McGrory.
They are being used in several cities in Florida, including Orlando, Clearwater and Largo, he said.
Weiser has collected four quotes from different companies. One of those quotes — from Most Dependable Fountains — includes a reduced price and a waiver of shipping and handling fees if the town waits a year and buys the floor-model fountain displayed at next year’s conference.
Should commissioners bite on the offer, Rover may have to ruff ... er, rough it out just a bit longer, but the tale could wind up having a happy ending.
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