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Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

"Dippin' Dogs" Offers Chance For Dogs, Owners To Socialize

Zach Bernard/WBOI News

This time of the summer is usually referred to as the “dog days,” due to excessive heat and lethargy that results from it. Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation held an event to give the dogs their own summer day.

The second annual “Dippin’ Dogs” was held at Northside Park’s aquatic center Sunday afternoon, and dogs of many breeds filled the park and played together in the pool.

Jenny Barney is the lead supervisor of the Fort Wayne Parks’ aquatic department. She says the idea came to the parks department when staffers brought their dogs to the pool after hours one day, and realized it could be a fun community event.

“For a lot of dog owners, this is like their child, and so we can give them the opportunity to have a great day,” Barney said. “This is just a nice opportunity for the dogs to socialize and the other people who have passes to do as well.”

Dog owners had four 45-minute time slots to reserve for their pups. Barney says two of those slots were completely full, while the other two were “three-fourths of the way.”

Another event that gives dogs a chance to swim -- called the “Doggie Dip” -- will be held on Sunday, September 11 at the Jorgensen YMCA.

Zach joined 89.1 WBOI as a reporter and local host for All Things Considered, and hosted Morning Edition for the past few years. In 2022, he was promoted to Content Director.