WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – Dogs from the Humane Society of Marathon County were treated to a “freaking pool party” at Schulenberg Pool on Monday.
The Marathon County Parks Department opened the pool to 25 shelter dogs after it closed for the season on Aug. 11. The county had hosted dog swims before, but began offering exclusive swim events for the shelter last year.
“It has always been my dream to have a shelter just for the dogs from the shelter, because not all of them are dog-friendly or do well in this environment,” says Lisa Leitermann, executive director of the Humane Society.
Some dogs have limited interaction with other dogs, so they have their own swimming times in the morning.
“It will help us in the long run to keep them happy and healthy while they are in their temporary home at the shelter,” Leitermann said.
Marathon County Recreation Coordinator Daniel Schmid was working at the pool and having fun with the dogs.
“Of course, there is a lot of cleaning to be done here. Of course, we try to do double the work and not just play with the dogs, but that’s a nice side effect of the job,” said Schmid.
Later in the day, the manager and staff at the animal shelter brought larger groups of dogs so they could play together.
“Maybe I like it more than the dogs. They definitely enjoy their time and come back to the shelter tired,” she said.
Both the animal shelter and the park administration hope to continue their partnership in the future.
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