Thousands of pups
and people gather to play at Lake Eola for the Paws in the Park fundraiser.
The first time Ace took a look at the tennis ball in the pool, he hesitated.
Even on a hot day, Ace seemed reluctant to jump across several feet of water to grab it.
However, urged on by his owner Robert Parada, the golden retriever jumped for it, setting off a fresh round of cheers from those who surrounded the pool.
“It’s just fun to see how playful these dogs are,” said Parada, 24.
Ace was one of thousands of dogs at Lake Eola Park on Saturday for the Greater Pet Alliance of Orlando’s annual Paws in the Park fundraiser.
Parada’s 4-year-old pup took the $10 plunge into the cool water.
Organizers of the event set up a dog obstacle course, pet beauty contests and the diving pool for visitors.
Cathy Rodgers, the director of development for the Pet Alliance, said most of the fundraising takes place in the weeks leading up to the event.
“Today is about having a fun day,” Rodgers said. “But it’s also important to get people to understand what we do to help animals.”
Several information booths were set up to get that word out.
The organization raised roughly $75,000 before the event and had a stated goal of reaching $125,000 by the end of the event.
The money goes toward feeding, spaying, neutering, sheltering and offering veterinary services to the more than 8,000 dogs and cats the Alliance takes in every year, Rodgers said.
On average, the shelter finds a home for dogs within nine days, while cats usually take
about 18 days, she said.
Rodgers said her 10-year-old Irish Setter, Lula, is an example of what dogs do for owners.
“They are always happy to see you and they have unconditional love for you,” she said.
For Lyn Lewis of Orlando, her five dogs are a way to get her mind off her job as a corrections officer.
“No matter how bad your day was at work, my dogs are always there to greet me,” said Lewis, who walked alongside her Chihuahua mix King Titan and her Beagle/Doberman Pinscher mix Lexi.
One big winner on the day was Susie Que, a 4-year-old American Cocker Spaniel who took first place in the best in show competition.
The competition in categories like Jiggly Jowels, Wiggle Butts and Boopable Snout was heated.
But even after defeating about 20 other dogs, she showed why she deserved to win, keeping her charm firing as she lay on the table in front of judges, accepting congratulatory pets and ear scratches.
“These dogs, they just steal your heart,” said Susie’s owner Anita Castiglia. “Susie is the reason I get up in the morning.”