Instead of a pool full of kids Saturday, the Jones Aquatic Center was handed over to the dogs for the annual Pooch Plunge.
The Pooch Plunge is held each year on the last day of the city pool’s day of operation. Dogs big and small are allowed admission into the pool to enjoy the water. Despite an unseasonably cool afternoon, many dogs and their owners showed up for the event. The air was heavy with the smell of wet dogs and was filled with the sound of barking dogs and squealing pet owners getting splashed. Several dogs were swimming and chasing tennis balls in the water.
It wasn’t all about swimming and chasing tennis balls Saturday. Over on one of the lawns, Kiwi, a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog, was performing for the crowd. Kiwi, who is owned by Eileen Holland, was rescued from a Leavenworth shelter. She was literally on her last day at the shelter, Holland said.
“She was going to be put down,” she said.
Holland got Kiwi right away and she began training her.
“When we first got her, she was a wreck,” she said.
Kiwi performed several tricks. She jumped through a hula hoop, “read” the newspaper, picked up junk mail and put it in the trash, played basketball and retrieved a dumbbell.
Kiwi trains a little bit each day, Holland said, and works for her kibble. She performs at nursing homes and goes to pre-schools.
“Wherever they ask us to go, we go,” Holland said.
The plunge also featured several booths in another area of the aquatic center. The H. Dale Buck Animal Welfare Fund was holding fundraisers. The big fundraiser was discount microchipping. MiChielle Cooper, executive director of the Buck Fund, said this morning that about $350 was raised in the microchipping event.
The Buck Fund also had a calendar voting contest. There were 32 entries in the calendar contest, in which the public was asked to submit pictures and stories of their rescued animals. The public voted on its favorite. Cooper said the organization raised about $150 in the contest. Calendar winners will be announced this week and the calendars will go to print sometime in September. The Buck Fund hopes to raise about $4,000 from the calendars.
“That helps buy our vaccinations and our wormers,” Cooper said.
Cooper said the Buck Fund raised close to $700 on Saturday and more money is expected.
“The (Emporia) Recreation Commission said they are going to donate some of the proceeds,” Cooper said.
imarun_r2 (anonymous) says...
Next year we need a whole "doggie weekend" It was a blast!
August 18, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )