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Pups’ pool party: Memorial Pool hosts annual Doggy Dip

By Holly Claycomb 4 min read

MARTINSBURG -- It smelled a lot like wet dogs, which only made sense as Morrisons Cove Memorial Park wrapped up the summer swim season Saturday with a pup party for a bunch of good boys (and girls).

The annual Doggy Dip held at Hershberger Memorial Pool draws about 50 sociable pups each year whose humans pay $5 for each of their four-legged pals to splash, swim, play and soak up the love from everyone gathered to watch the antics unfold.

Kelly Marks, pool manager, said human attendance at the pool throughout the season was good, though there were some tough days when the weather didn't cooperate.

Saturday, with its overcast skies, would have slowed attendance during the regular swim season, but it didn't dampen the dogs' spirits.

Lager came to play and after dozens of jumps into the pool to catch his ball, the 5-year-old chocolate lab was pulled aside by his family for some rest.

"He would do this all day long," said Jamie Reininger and her husband, Bradley. "This is what he does at the beach."

In an effort to get their pooch to rest, Bradley put the ball away. But, like a child begging for just one more, Lager's barks let everyone know he wanted his ball and he wanted to play.

"He's very vocal when he wants something," Jamie said with a laugh. Eventually, Lager got his wish and with a mighty leap jumped back in the pool to catch his ball.

The Reiningers of Roaring Spring said they come to the doggy dip every year. "We're definitely happy customers," Jamie said.

Charlie, a 4-year-old golden retriever owned by Cathy Zernell of Hollidaysburg, followed Lager into the pool for her ball, a routine she followed dozens of times throughout the afternoon.

"I can't stop her," Zernell said with a grin as she watched Charlie play in the water. "I think it's wonderful that they do this every year."

Jay Rames of Duncansville brought his 18-month-old German shepherd, Aspen, and 6-year-old lab, Rona, to the Doggy Dip for the first time. While humans aren't allowed to swim with the dogs, as the chlorine system is shut down for the event, Rames walked into the shallow end to show his pups how to play in the water.

"This is fun," he said as he took turns holding up Aspen and Rona as they learned to doggy paddle.

The only pooch to sport a life preserver stayed put in the shallow end, where the water brushed the belly of Paisley, the 3-year-old Newfoundland who outweighed most of the other dogs by 80 to 100 pounds.

Deb McGraw of Martinsburg got Paisley as a tiny puppy and now calls her a "big brown fluffball" who was "looking for some pets."

She wore a life jacket because the first year the McGraws brought her to the pool she ended up in the deep end and couldn't get out. Her doggy paddles weren't getting her anywhere and it took a few people to haul her out over the side, they said. To be on the safe side, they outfitted her with a life jacket, but Paisley seemed to remember that first pool trip and stayed in the shallow end.

After a few hours of play and hundreds of dry-off shakes, there wasn't a dry dog in the area and few dry humans, but there were a lot of happy canine smiles.

"She'll go home and crash," Zernell said of Charlie, to which everyone agreed that their pups, too, would probably be asleep before they left the parking lot -- marking another successful Doggy Dip.

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