Well, the cat's out of the bag. This Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Desert Botanical Garden will be hosting its third annual "Dog's Day in the Garden." This is an opportunity to take your canis familiaris to a place normally reserved for the homo sapiens among us.
The botanical garden’s special events coordinator Susan Rubin said the idea for this event came from that very notion of exclusivity. People love their dogs as part of the family, she said.
"We have a lot of members who come there regularly with their kids and other family members, and they love coming back here with their canine family members," Rubin said.
Dogs' Day in the Garden | FacebookThere are more activities at this event than can be counted on four paws, including musicians DJ Muchacho Mike and guitarist Ivan Harshman, nonprofit Chuck Waggin’ Pet Food Pantry and pet clothing organization Deville’s Denims. There will also be many sessions of "Doga" or dog yoga. Mats will be provided for pets and people.
"(The Garden has) a lot of seating areas and we’ll have a DJ with a little relaxation area, and we’ll have our cafe with a musician there, and they can get lunch and visit with their friends and also have their dogs with them," Rubin said.
Admission for members is free, but non-members must pay admission for the event. ASU students can check out a "culture pass" from the ASU Library that will give them free entry to the Garden, however.
In addition to the human admission, every $4 dog admission to the Garden goes directly to the Arizona Humane Society. The society's spokeswoman Bretta Nelson said that the nonprofit's presence is one of awareness and of providing resources.
"Events like this are just wonderful to get out in the community," she said. "This one is a beautiful event held at the Botanical Garden and again we’ve been the beneficiary of those proceeds for the past three years. We’re a nonprofit organization so we rely very heavily on donations as well as events like this."
The Arizona Humane Society's "Waggin' Wheels Mobile Adoption Vehicle" will also be in the Garden's parking lot for the duration of the event, Nelson said.
"It’s a very cute concept," she said. "The sides open up, so it’s kind of that 'puppy in the window' where you can ... see the animals up for adoption, but the people can actually come up on board and meet the different pets."
Microbiology alumna Lauren Mak is a member at the Desert Botanical Garden and wrote in an email that she plans to attend this year's "Dog's Day." Mak wrote that she has four dogs, two of which are certified service and therapy animals.
"When we saw that this event was benefiting the Arizona Humane Society, that just makes it even better," she wrote. "My husband and I are involved with a few non-profit animal rescues, and we know how much work it takes, so anything that helps them out is great."
Mak said that she was also excited about the many different events and many different furry friends that everyone will be bringing to the botanical garden.
"I am a member of the Garden, and come to many of the different events that they have. Every time I start to get sick of Arizona, it's nice to come here and remind myself just how beautiful the desert can be," she wrote.
Check back to see pictures of the event, and follow @statepress on Snapchat to see live coverage of the "Dog's Day in the Garden."
Related Links:
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