MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio — The dog days of summer returned to Middleburg Heights Sept. 14, as the annual canine swim took place in the recreation center’s outdoor pool.
Dogs of all breeds and sizes were seen happily chasing, fetching, diving, splashing and simply having a doggone good time.
Their humans were all smiles, too.
Fetch was one of the dogs’ favorite games during the Middleburg Heights dog swim. Beth Mlady/special to cleveland.com
“Your dog is a member of the family, and this is a great opportunity for the community to come over and have some fun,” Director of Recreation Mark Elliott said.
Labor Day weekend is the last time the human public gets summer use of the outdoor pool. He said the water then sits dormant until the dog swim.
Cali, a long-haired chihuahua, took refuge in her human’s purse when things seemed a little too exciting. Beth Mlady/special to cleveland.com
“In order to make it a safe environment for the animals, you need a week or two where there are no chemicals in the pool,” Elliott said.
“We drain the pool the week afterwards and do some maintenance in this whole area.”
Small dogs (i.e. those less than 40 pounds) had the pool’s first time slot; the big dogs followed to close out the party.
Owners and their dogs had a great time, whether tossing some toys or retrieving them. Beth Mlady/special to cleveland.com
“It’s fun to watch them,” Elliott said. “You can watch all of them, not just your own.
“The big dogs are even more rambunctious than the small ones, bumping into people and other dogs.
“It can be a little crazy, but it’s fun.”
No, it’s not the Loch Ness monster, just a dachshund gliding around the pool. Beth Mlady/special to cleveland.com
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