The West Hartford Dog Park Coalition hosted the 10th annual Pooch Plunge on Aug. 20, letting the dogs of West Hartford beat the heat by taking a dip in Beachland Park’s pool.
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
By Maddie Geerlof. Photos by Hunter Marotto
Even our four-legged friends deserve a summer vacation, and for the dogs of West Hartford their much needed vacation came Monday night at the Pooch Plunge.
Hosted by the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition, the 10th annual Pooch Plunge took place on Monday evening at Beachland Park, and was also a fundraiser for a community dog park to be built in West Hartford.
Phil Karlin, the president of the West Hartford Dog Park coalition, said “I like watching the dogs play together!”
Karlin, who brought his 2-year-old Kerry Blue Terrier, Stella, along for the plunge, admitted that he enjoyed seeing dogs be there for different reasons.
Dogs of all shapes, sizes, and swimming capabilities came together to enjoy the freedom of being off of their leashes. Karlin said that the labs enjoyed chasing balls into the water, whereas many of the other dogs initially watched cautiously from a distance.
Buck, a 7-year-old husky mix attended his fifth Pooch Plunge with his owner Danielle Dippolino, and spent most of the evening splashing around and socializing with other pups.
Not every dog was in the pool though. Some land-loving canines enjoyed chasing each other in the grass, or simply taking in all the smells they possibly could, which was the approach of one pup named Nutmeg.
Nutmeg, who is a 9 -year-old beagle, came along with her owners Maggie Kinabrew and Aliina Hopkins as well as her “brother,” Leo, a 5-year-old yellow lab.
According to Kinabrew and Hopkins, Leo enjoyed his time in the pool because he often spends time swimming in rivers. Leo also is super social and was having a ton of fun interacting with the abundance of dogs frolicking around the park.
Kinabrew said, “It’s a really cool idea to use the pool to get the dogs together.” Hopkins added, “I love seeing the dogs run around and give them a space to be free.”
The pooches were together to enjoy the last few dog days of summer, but many of their owners also came to show their support for building a dog park in West Hartford.
“It would be so nice if there was a dog park in town,” said Lisa and Anna Siciliano, who brought their pup Rosie, a 4-year-old retriever. Siciliano explained that she would enjoy having a place for the dogs of West Hartford to be able to run free, just like they were able to at the Plunge.
Karlin said that the conversation about building a dog park in West Hartford is one that is continuing with the Town Council. “The biggest issue has always been getting a location,” said Karlin.
Despite not having a community dog park quite yet, both pooches and owners alike enjoyed the time they had and made the most of it.
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West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s 10th Annual Pooch Plunge. Aug. 20, 2018. Photo credit: Hunter Marotto
Soooooo cuteee! Nice photos!