'Slobbery and fun and goofy and messy': Pups in the pool a chaotic success

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- Nearly 50 dogs swerved in and out of the Don Nakata Pool Friday — barking, chasing balls, and shaking water onto the owners and observers that lined the pool deck.

"He's loving it," said Dan O'Shea, watching his Cairn Terrier, Duncan, hurtle after another dog. "He's having a blast."

Duncan and his canine friends were onsite for Bainbridge Parks and Rec District’s Pups in the Pool, a one-day event that gave local dogs the chance to play in the Don Nakata before staff drained it for a liner replacement. According to aquatic program administrator Jenette Reneau, the Pups in the Pool event on July 26 was Bainbridge Parks' first.

Reneau, who is in her first year with the parks district, previously ran Pups in the Pool-style events at aquatic centers in Texas and California. She said it didn’t take much to convince her colleagues at the Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center that they should run their own event.

After all, “who does not like seeing happy puppies run around in the water?" she said.

As the chaos unfolded last Friday, Tim Mooney parked himself on a bench at the shallow end of the pool, beaming.

“I just saw the poster and thought, ‘What a great idea,’” said Mooney, who takes classes at the Aquatic Center. “I’m just really happy that this is happening.”

Mooney was one of the dogless observers who paid $10 to watch the event. Those who attended with their dogs paid $30. Both coverage charges went toward staffing; the event required a small army of “human barricades,” lifeguards, and people “standing by with poop bags and a net at a moment’s notice,” according to Reneau.

“Controlled chaos,” she admitted.

Pups in the Pool ran from noon to 7:15 p.m. and was divided into several categories: dogs from the Kitsap Humane Society, dogs weighing under 35 pounds, and dogs of all sizes. All dogs received a free goody bag donated by Bainbridge's Paws & Fins Pet Shop.

Shelter dogs Toby, Benji, Jenna, and Elantra were in attendance for the KHS hour at the beginning of the day — although an overstimulated Elantra had to make an early exit. While both Benji and Jenna were natural water dogs, Toby took some convincing.

“Once he got in, he realized this is the greatest day of his life,” said Jessi Reynolds, the events and outreach manager for KHS.

Both Reynolds and Chris Russell, KHS’s community resources and behavior manager, said they were grateful Reneau had reached out to KHS about Pups in the Pool.

“Right now, the expectations that are being held for dogs going into a home are really high,” Russell said. “[Pups in the Pool] helps kind of put the reality” — that dogs can be a squirmy, messy handful— “out there.”

“The community welcom[ed] these dogs that are a little rambunctious into their space, and accept[ed] them,” Reynolds added. “That means a lot.”

Still, in the end, the rambunctious shelter dogs were no match for their surroundings. As KHS staff corralled the exhausted dogs, Siberian husky Jenna staggered around with glazed eyes.

“Benji has never gotten into a crate before,” Russell said, laughing. “And he was like, ‘It’s time.’”

During the hour devoted to dogs under 35 pounds, Corgis, terriers, and poodle mixes assembled on the pool deck and confronted the water with varying degrees of success.

Some owners admitted their dogs had never been swimming before.

“Hence the life jacket,” said Kim Bartels, who was in attendance with her daughter, McKenzie, and her Corgi, Goose.

Goose and his red life jacket gave it a go, but ultimately ended up socializing on the pool deck with a host of other water-shy dogs, including poodle mix Alfie.

“He’s not very keen on water, but I thought we’d give it a go,” said Julia Ensley, Alfie’s owner, before the event started. By the end of the hour, Alfie had “got up to his armpits, which is huge.”

Other dogs plunged in without hesitation. A small white poodle mix wearing a blue life jacket pranced through the shallow end, waving his front paws and sending observers into fits of giggles.

“His name is Freddy Mercury,” said owner Dagmar Stauss-Goff with pride. “And he’s quite a diva.”

Freddy Mercury did not respond to Stauss-Goff’s allegations.

Overall, 47 dogs participated in Pups in the Pool, with the busiest hour boasting 27 pooches. Throughout the event, Reneau — who wore a headband with twin blue pom-poms and issued frequent instructions to poop scoopers and lifeguards — was in her element.

“It’s just slobbery and fun and goofy and messy,” she said.

The Don Nakata pool will be closed until September 1.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: 'Slobbery and fun and goofy and messy': Pups in the pool a chaotic success