Jonaki stood hesitantly at the edge of the pool.
When her owner, graduate student Darpan Biswas, waded toward the middle of the community center pool, the yellow Labrador flopped from the side into the water and swam to him.
At the sixth annual Orange County dog swim Sunday, Biswas gave Jonaki a piggy-back ride in the pool, surrounded by about 50 other pairs of dogs and their owners.
“She loves the water and the beach,” Biswas said.
The Chapel Hill Community Center event was sponsored by Orange County Animal Services and the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation.
The event allowed dogs to swim in the indoor pool and run in a fenced-in area. Frisbees and tennis balls rolled everywhere throughout the three-hour event.
Orange County Animal Services Program Coordinator Sarah Fallin said the swim usually draws about 75 dogs.
Admission was $5 for each dog and humans were free. The proceeds will be split between the sponsoring organizations.
Fallin said the money raised was of small significance. The event’s purpose was to raise awareness about the animal shelter and to have a good time.
A big Labrador named Hopkins tirelessly chased tennis balls thrown by his owner Charles Pamplin.
“He loves to play fetch,” said Pamplin’s wife, Charlotte.
Sophomore Miranda Jones volunteered at the event with Helping Paws, a Campus Y organization whose volunteers’ role was to clean up messes and to ensure dogs’ safety. They also handed out literature about good dog ownership practices.
“I hope people will learn a lot about the shelter,” Jones said.
Dogs were screened beforehand to ensure they had current vaccinations and they were not in heat.
The pool’s annual cleaning will be this week, which allowed for the event to happen today, said Edward Bauer V, a Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation employee.
Fallin said she provided bags in case any excrement contaminated the water.
Still, many owners, like Biswas, swam with their dogs.
“It’s a good opportunity for dogs to see if they are water dogs,” Orange County Animal Control Officer Ashley Miller said. “Some take to the water naturally.”
She said dogs aren’t especially afraid of water.
“Some have an easier time than others. Dogs are about like people,” she said. “They’re just the four-legged kind, I reckon.”
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Chapel Hill doggie paddle
Event to raise awareness about animal shelter
Hopkins, a yellow Labrador, swims with his owner, Charles Pamplin, during the sixth annual Orange County dog swim Sunday.
