Let me tell you-a fun time was had by all! Didn’t Pooch, or human!!! If rules were made to be broken, 146 dogs from 17 surrounding communities did a fantastic job last Saturday at the second annual Pooch Plunge at Cameron Park Lake, sponsored by El Dorado Dog Owners Guild (EDDOG) and the Cameron Park Community Services District (CSD).
The usual no-dog statute was lifted for a day to raise funds for the fenced-in off-leash dog park currently in development at Hacienda Park on Cameron Park Drive. Cameron Park Lake is scheduled for its annual draining and cleaning later this month, and Pooch Plunge was the last public event of the season.
The combination of a body of water, 63 different breed varieties, tennis balls, and the resident terrier managing things from the beach was the ideal recipe for both dogs and humans to socialize.
“The question we got most from dog owners that day was ‘when is the dog park going to be finished?'” said EDDOG Park Logistics Officer Wendi-Mae Davis. “And the answer to that is, ‘when we get more people involved to help raise the money or donate their technical expertise,'” she said.
EDDOG raised about $2,800 from entry fees and from the silent auction and raffle of items donated by local businesses – a big increase from last year’s inaugural event which generated $391.
According to Davis, unless EDDOG can find an architectural professional to donate their services, the proceeds from Pooch Plunge will go toward the $6,500 cost of the next phase: developing detailed construction documents that show the location of all fencing, site amenities, plants, and a detailed irrigation plan. A general architectural diagram for the Hacienda dog park project has already been drafted.
EDDOG’s primary short-term goal is to recruit volunteers in order to put on more events like Pooch Plunge, according to EDDOG President Holly Morrison.
“If today is any indication, people of Cameron Park and the surrounding areas are desperate for someplace they can take their dogs to play and socialize. If people could donate just a few hours here and there, we could reach our target goal of $40,000 so much more quickly,” said Morrison.
Not only was Pooch Plunge a social gathering for both dogs and their people, but thanks to veterinarian Dr. Sara Nadolski of Cameron Park Veterinary Hospital, and the El Dorado County Animal Services department, dog owners could vaccinate, micro-chip and license their dogs.
“Our vision for the dog parks goes beyond just being places for recreation,” said Morrison. “We also want to help bring dog-related services and education to our community so we can become a more dog-friendly place to live,” she said.
EDDOG will be at PAWED, one of the area’s largest events for dogs and their people on Sunday, October 3 at the El Dorado Hills CSD to generate enthusiasm and raise funds for the dog park slated for development in North Community Park in El Dorado Hills.
Anyone interested in donating time or making a tax-deductible donation to EDDOG should contact Lisa Van Dyke at eddogdogpark@gmail.com or visit www.EDDOG.org. EDDOG can also be followed on Facebook.
I am proud to be the Director of Logistics for this group-and to be the Resident Realtor Specialst for this fine town. Check out my Community website at HTTP://www.mycameronpark.com also check out my presonal website at: HTTP://www.wendimae.com also email me with any Real Estate question you might have! Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI, Broker Associate for Connect Realty, Real Estate Counselor Toll Free 866-333-6333
Check out these pics!
There are many more where these came from! The event will be even bigger and better next year-and will always be the 2nd weekend of the month-so easy to remember-and you can mark it off on your calendar now! We look forward to hearing from you soon! Wendi-Mae