With tails wagging, noses sniffing and ‘woofs’ at the ready, a pack of Greater Victoria dogs took over the West Shore Parks and Recreation pool Sunday evening.
The canine excitement was palpable as adventurous pooches dived into the deep end, while others dipped one paw in at a time, making their way into the wading pool for a more relaxed night of doggy aquatic joy.
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The inaugural Dog Swim was put on to benefit the BC SPCA, with admission by donation going directly to the non-profit. The pup-friendly pool night coincides with the facility’s annual pool closure for maintenance – the pool is closed, drained, cleaned and maintained following the event.
Katherine Beck, Aquatics & Acting Fitness Coordinator, says about 70 dogs splashed through the pool Sunday evening, with the first time slot drawing about 35 small and medium dogs, and the second time slot allotted for the big pups.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback from the community, lots of people have wanted to get involved, so we would love to have it be an annual tradition,” Beck says. “I would say its been a glowing success for sure.”
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