Dogs dive into some end-of-summer fun at pool
Sep 23, 2020 02:21PM ● By Heather Lawrence
Dozens of regular dogs became Dippin’ Dogs at Alta Canyon Sports Center’s annual event on Sept. 12 and 19. (Heather Lawrence/City Journals)
By Heather Lawrence | [email protected]
Alta Canyon Sport Center in Sandy finished their outdoor swimming season by inviting some special guests—dogs.
“It’s a long-standing tradition and something that people look forward to all year. I start getting calls in July asking when it will be,” said Lois Stillion, program and aquatics coordinator for Alta Canyon.
“This year we had to make accommodations because we’re limited to how many people we can have here at once. So, people made reservations for the events on Sept. 12 and 19. But mostly people are just so grateful that we could do it this year,” Stillion said.
Stillion’s Yorkie named Fenway couldn’t make it that day, but Stillion said there were about 250 dogs who could. “This is how we close out the season. We don’t put chlorine in, and the dogs basically take over. It’s a pretty intense cleanup, but everyone loves it,” Stillion said.
Loki the labradoodle came with her dog mom Carly Donahue. Loki jumped into the deep end again and again to find her tennis ball.
Julie Beckstrom and her boyfriend Logan Hales of Cottonwood Heights bring their golden retriever Oakley to the event every year. As Oakley jumped off the diving board several times, Beckstrom looked on with pride and said, “She loves to swim.”
