BILLINGS-
Billings Parks and Recreation held their annual "Dog Days of Summer" event to close out the season.
"It's our last day that the pool is open, and so we let the dogs come in and swim, just because we drain the pool anyway, so they might as well enjoy it," Coralynn Hunt of Billings Parks and Recreation said.
Funds raised from the 3-dollar per dog entrance fee go toward maintenance of the facility and donations were collected for Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.
"Most of the funds for entrance do go to help the pool, and YVAS is here doing Pupsicles for the dogs and then they are taking donations," Hunt said.
There were free hot-dogs for all dogs at the concession stand--in addition to "pup-sicles", homemade by Y-V-A-S.
"This is our fourth year doing it, so I was here the first year, I got to see how chaotic it was the first year," Hunt said.
Organizers say that they have learned from past events-for example, to take extra precautions for escapees.
"I helped figure out how we don't get dogs to escape," Hunt said," We haven't ever lost a dog for real. The parent always chases after. But I came up with the whole extra gate thing. Because it's better to have two gates that they have to escape from than one. The big ones are easy to catch. The little tiny ones, they're quick," Hunt said.
There were many volunteers and staff members on hand, and many in attendance just to enjoy the animals.
"Our biggest dog we had in was a Great Dane, all the way down to a little tiny teacup pomeranian today, like it was the cutest thing ever. He did not enjoy it however," Hunt said, "I think it's just awesome to be able to be around so many dogs. It's just always a really happy environment with all the dogs around."
