ORANGE CITY—Who let the dogs out? This time it was the Orange City Municipal Aquatic Facility as it celebrated its annual Dog Swim on Tuesday.
Smithfield Foods Inc. Pet Food Blends and Treats partnered with the Orange City pool in its debut as a part of the event, bringing large cardboard boxes full of various pork ears, beef sticks and other meat products.
All dog food that would have been rendered, Orange City pets were able to leave the pool with a hearty treat free of cost, courtesy of Smithfield.
The annual city Dog Swim falls on the last evening before the pool closes and is drained for the season.
Mikaela and Andrew Opgenorth of Orange City have taken their pup to the Dog Swim in the past and admitted they may enjoy it even more than the pets.
“We’re excited,” Mikaela said. “She doesn’t really like it, but we like to take her to it so she plays with other dogs.”
Their dog, Goose, is a white French bulldog. Although she wore a yellow and black life jacket, Goose was slow to get in the water.
Many dogs ran around the pool several times before jumping in, as if asking their owners for permission. But 15 minutes into the swim, dogs of all sizes and breeds swamped the pool.
Many owners and children wore bathing suits as well. Children swam back and forth with their pets playing fetch while many adult owners waded in the shallow end.
Eventually, Goose dipped her toes in the shallow end before dunking her entire head. At that point, there was no return for the Opgenorths. Goose ran back and forth where her legs could reach interacting with both dogs and people, splashing around with nonstop energy.
Noah Minnick, the Orange City Parks and Recreation director, arrived 20 minutes early to help set up the Smithfield donation as well as make sure the pool filter was turned off so it would not be clogged with all of the dog hair.
“It’s controlled chaos,” Minnick said.
The Dog Swim is run through donations given every year.
Minnick said monetary donations residents make at this year’s Dog Swim will go to improving the community’s dog park.
The Orange City Bark Park is located inside Veterans Park next to the Kinderspeelland wooden playground. Although the Bark Park is only grass with a fence separating a large and small dog section, Minnick hopes to raise enough money to install a dog teetertotter and play hoops for dogs to spice up Orange City dogs’ terrain.
With Orange City pool in hibernation for the fall and winter season, the town’s dogs wait for their 2024 Dog Swim takeover, hopefully along with the installation of an improved dog park down the street.
