Many dogs should have slept well after Lincoln Park Family Aquatic Center held its first Dog Swim on Sunday, September 9, 2012. 30 canines brought their humans to splash, swim and run (the only time running is permitted at the pool). Dog owners said they were pleased with the afternoon.
Squeaky toys, tennis balls and other throw toys were very popular with the dogs and they didn’t mind sharing. An owner would throw a toy and off to the races they’d go to see which dog could get there first. The game would start over again, with the endless energy of the dogs never seeming to tire. Some dogs were very timid around the water and were only interested in playing in the grass. Others took to the water like fish and, like children, didn’t want to get out when it was time to go home.
Dart with one of his squeaky toys he brought to share.
Brian Clark brought his dog, D’Artagnan (Dart), a poodle-golden retriever mix. He said, “It was a great time for Dart and we sure enjoyed the new pool. I’m certainly trilled they did this for the dogs. It was a great community event and we’re looking forward to next year’s Puppy Paddle.”
There was a variety of sizes of dogs. One of the smallest, Scarlet, was lifeguard for the day. Head Lifeguard, Calai Adams, brought Scarlet to keep everyone safe in the water.
Scarlet keeps watch as a lifeguard.
“This is the first year we’ve tried a dog swim and didn’t quite know what to expect,” stated Jeannie Brewer, Aquatics Director. “The only time that we can do such an event is after the pool has closed for the summer.”
Brewer explained that they need to make sure that there is very little to no chlorine in the water so that it does not affect the dogs coat or skin. The higher levels of chlorine required for health reasons for people does not allow them to hold such events during the summer.
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