On an average day, one can find the Tiburon pool bustling with countless patrons, but a different breed of pool-goers are invited each year to celebrate the pool’s closing day. Monday they hosted their 7th annual Dog Day.
“Dog day is when any member, or anyone honestly, can come into the pool and bring their dog,” Tiburon lifeguard Gabby Kruise said. “The dogs can stay at the pool for the last hour of closing day.”
The event took place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and was one of the pool’s busiest days of the season.
Tiburon chooses its closing day to hold this event because the pool gets drained the next day and “the Bellevue city pools do it on Labor Day, so I just figured that we should just try it,” Tiburon manager Brendon Smith said.
The dogs were allowed to run, jump and swim around and in the pool much to the amusement of the pool’s guests. The lifeguards especially enjoyed this day.
“I love seeing all the dogs jump into the pool,” Kruise said. “They just launch themselves; it’s so funny.
While the lifeguards still performed their duties of keeping swimmers safe in the pool, the primary focus of the day was the dogs swimming rather than the humans. Owners and guests were able to see the dogs socialize and swim with each other.
“It’s so fun for them,” Tina Lindberg, a Tiburon guest, said. “It’s like the best day ever for them. They get to play with all of their friends.”
For that hour Tiburon is transformed into a “dog park,” said Smith. “Everybody’s all smiling when we have 30 dogs or more on the deck. I think doing this is just good for the community in general. And the dogs are just feel good for everybody.”
The Tiburon pool plans to continue hosting “Dog Day” next year and continue a cherished part of the community’s annual calendar.
