Mark Spitz … Johnny Weissmuller … Michael Phelps… Meushee the dog?
Sure, this may seem like a lopsided lineup – few dogs, if any, have competed in an Olympic swimming event, let alone taken home the gold – but the Siberian husky will have a chance to prove his poolside mettle and join the swimming greats. At Doggie Paddle 2013, neighbourhood pooches are invited to go for a dip at the Woolwich Memorial Centre and raise money for a new off-leash dog park in the township.
![Meushee, keeps an eye on the swimmers at the WMC. He’ll help raise money for a Woolwich dog park during an event at the pool on Tuesday.[Will Sloan / The Observer]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Post_NEWS_Dogpaddle.jpg)
“He loves swimming,” said Cynthia Lean, organizer of the event and Meushee’s owner. “Normally when he’s chasing ducks. We’ll see how he does in the pool. I think he’ll love it.”
Dogs can sometimes clash in a dog park. Do they swim together harmoniously?
“They play. I’m sure they’ll be running around and playing. I don’t see any issues.”
Are all dogs roughly equal in skill?
“No. There would be some dogs that can’t swim. But we’ll have the small pool if people want to come and splash around, and not necessarily get fully immersed.”
Okay, but is swimming something that a dog can learn? Or is this a matter best left to pet psychologists?
“I’m not the expert on this,” she said, “but I have noticed that Meushee used to be very scared of the water, and then one day he was literally chasing a duck, and that’s how he figured out how to swim. So, it might be a quality that they all know how to do, but you’ve just got to do it.”
Doggie Paddle 2013 marks the Woolwich Dog Owners Association’s second major fundraiser for a dog park in the township, following the success of the Woofwich Pet Show in May.
“We’re still in the early stages,” said Lean. “We did well with Woofwich, which gave us a launch, but we still have probably $25,000 left to raise.”
The idea for this event came from Bingemans in Kitchener, where pups-in-the-pool fundraisers have met with success. “The township offered that when they shut down their pool for their annual maintenance, they’ll drop the chlorine levels and we can open it up for the dogs to swim.”
The association is still in the early stages of planning the park. Currently, they’re looking at areas in the industrial section of Elmira, and hopefully an area with some trees, trails, and open space. Lean said that events like the Doggie Paddle are an important way to rouse community spirit.
“It’s creating a community for people with dogs, and getting them excited for the dog park and what it means. It’s people getting together and fundraising for something in our community.”
The event takes place at the Woolwich Memorial Centre’s pool on September 3, 6-9 p.m. Admission is $10. For more information, contact cynthia@woofwichpetshow.ca.
