ARDEN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville dog owners are invited out to Jake Rusher Park this Saturday for a Valentine-themed scavenger hunt.
Cupid’s Canine Quest will be held from 11 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 8 at Jake Rusher Park, 132 Peachtree St., Arden.
The event will send dogs and their owners across the park in search of treats. Humans will have clues to help guide their dogs’ noses to where the prizes lay hidden.
“We came up with this idea for Cupid’s Canine because we were trying to come up with some more ideas for the community that are dog-friendly. Just getting humans outside with their dogs and doing something kind of fun,” said Kiley Pritchard, a city of Asheville program leader. “We had done a similar program during Christmastime, winter time with kids as a candy cane hunt at a park. We thought, how fun would it be with humans and their dogs and they get to search for treats at a park?”
The event is free but operates on the honor system for puppies and their treats.
“I think we’re going to do one treat per clue. That’s the idea, to have a bucket at each location and hopefully owners will take one per dog,” Pritchard said.
Pritchard thinks that the event will be a good opportunity not only for people to have fun with their pets, but to connect with each other as well.
“I think it’s important because I feel like it is a good way for people to maybe meet other people who have dogs,” Pritchard said. “Also doing something active outside with their pets. It’s something a little bit different. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a scavenger hunt with my dog.”
Pritchard invites anyone with questions or concerns to contact her at kpritchard@ashevillenc.gov or (828) 507-3357.