With the heat index pushing more than 100 degrees on Saturday, dozens of lucky dogs were in for a treat with a cooling wash courtesy of the Cayman Islands Humane Society.
The Humane Society’s ‘Yappy Hour and Dog Wash’ was held at Sunset House in South Church Street on Saturday afternoon, with dogs and their owners both given the chance to cool off in the shade.
As well as complimentary dog washes, owners were offered the chance to try the brand-new, limited edition Paws Ale, brewed by the Cayman Islands Brewery, with a portion of every sale going to the charity.
“People have been bringing their dogs along to be washed and they can donate whatever they want,” said Natasha Rocha of the Humane Society board of directors.
“Our volunteers are being helped by the dog groomers at Cay 9 who are educating us on how to wash them.”
The newly launched Paws Ale was also going down a treat, she added.
“It’s amazing that Caybrew are helping us and it really shows their commitment to helping rescue dogs,” she said.
Adam Vanicek and Angie Garduno brought their 4-year old rescue dog Bernie to have a doggy wash and enjoy some treats afterwards.
“He loves being part of these events and we do too – we never miss a Humane Society event,” Vanicek said.
“He’s the first dog we officially adopted but we’ve had a lot of Humane Society dogs over the years, from a few weeks to a few months. And then we decided that Bernie was the one.”
Sisters Tito and Pippa were also enjoying a dog wash from owner Adam Cranswick and volunteer Amber Fox.
“They were found up in West Bay and we adopted them from the Humane Society about two years ago,” Cranswick said.
“They’re obsessed with each other and Pippa is really coming out of her shell too – she wouldn’t have let people do this 18 months ago.”
Shelter to reopen in weeks
Due to a suspected outbreak of kennel cough, the Humane Society closed its shelter on North Sound Road at the end of last month, but Rocha said the charity is expected to reopen at the end of July.
“The dogs are okay now, they’re not symptomatic,” she said, “but it’s very highly contagious, so we want to make sure we’re taking every step possible to keep everything running smoothly. We’re being extremely cautious. But the dogs are really excited and really want to go out, so I’m sure when the shelter reopens then, they’re going to go crazy!”
There are currently around 40 dogs and 40 cats at the shelter, with a total of 300 animals on island in the care of the Humane Society.
