Swimmers Unleashed

local canines to make a splash at Doggie Swim Fest

Thom Fountain, photos by Betsy Olaussen |

We call it eau de chien mouillé.
We call it eau de chien mouillé.

Alright, pups. I know most dogs can’t read, but I’m just assuming your owners will read this to you. I have an exciting announcement for you and your canine friends: You get to go swimming. Not in a lake or a river or that inflatable pool you got yelled at for jumping into last week, no, not those dog places. Buddy, you get to go swimming in a right ol’ human pool. That’s right. Those big, bright, beautiful man-made pools that you always see when your head is sticking out the window on a hot summer day. Now, I know you’re excited, but try not to drool too much right away. See there’s this growing trend where at the end of the summer, when humans are done with their pool time, they let you dogs jump right in there and muck up the whole thing. So, it’s not only that you get to go jump in a pool: You get to jump in a pool with a ton of other dogs while a ton of humans who love dogs watch. That seems like a perfect scenario to me. Not to mention, if you’re an Eau Claire mutt you get to try out your luck in a bunch of activities at Fairfax Pool including water retrieval and a lure course. Make sure your owners bring a proof of vaccination, or you may miss out on the fun. And, woof. You don’t want to miss out on this fun.

Doggie Swim Fest • Aug. 25 • Fairfax Pool, 4200 Fairfax St. • noon-3pm • $10 per dog• 839-1680