Dog Day of Summer arrives at Mylan Park

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Sunday was the last day of the season for the Mylan Park Aquatic Center’s annual Dog Day of Summer, where pet owners bring their dogs and let them play around in the outdoor splash pad.

This is the event’s third year, and according to Danielle Rudash, the Assistant Director of Marketing and Outreach at the Aquatic Center, the event was initially started to bring out a different type of crowd to end the summer. She said it was a good opportunity to bring out “that like niche crowd of, you know, dog lovers and give them something to do.”

The event had a dog-themed photo booth and an obstacle course, as well as several vendors giving out different free items and treats. Blue Mountain K-9 sponsored the event to help with giving owners treating ideas, and there was also a nail trimming vendor in attendance.

By having this event, the organizers hoped to attract dog owners to see all the different facilities Mylan Park has to offer.

“I think the biggest thing is getting them up here, bringing awareness to our facility beyond the dog amenities. But for those dog lovers, it’s beyond a dog park. You have acres and acres to walk your dog, throw frisbees, there’s so much space up here. So really just getting them up here and realizing that this is for them as well,” Rudash said.

There were also supposed to be adoption opportunities on-site, but no organization was able to attend and facilitate that process. However, the organizers will post about adoption opportunities within the community on the Mylan Park Facebook page or their website.

Although the outdoor splash pad is now closed for the season following the event, it will be back up and running in May 2024.