Spend a first Dog Day afternoon at the San Antonio Zoo

No, the San Antonio Zoo is not going to the dogs; the dogs will be going to the zoo.

Saturday will be the zoo's first-ever Dog Day, when four-legged pups will be welcome to come and explore the zoo along with their two-legged companions.

“We're always looking for ways to enrich our animals,” said Cyle Perez, a zoo spokesman. “And seeing and smelling the dogs will be a fun way to do that.”

The event, which will take place during the zoo's normal Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., should be stimulating for the doggy guests, too — with proper precautions.

Pets other than service animals are normally not allowed into the zoo; but on Saturday, they'll have free, albeit leashed, run of most of the zoo's 35 acres. All dogs must have an up-todate rabies vaccination and be kept on a nonretractable leash no longer than 6 feet.

Dog owners should take an extra moment to consider whether bringing their dog to the zoo might be too stressful, veterinarian Lori Teller said.

“Owners need to really know their own dog before exposing them to the zoo environment,” said Teller, a clinical professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine

and Biomedical Sciences. “The way they react around unfamiliar people and in unfamiliar places will tell a lot about how they'll handle being in a zoo.”

Because a dog's sense of smell is thousands of times more sensitive than a human's, they'll definitely be aware of the zoo animals that surround them. For many dogs, this can be nerve-wracking. Even the calmest dog may not be able to handle being so close to animals they may consider as either predators or prey — not to mention being around all those other dogs as well.

As a rule of thumb, Teller suggested that if your dog can't handle being in a dog park with other dogs, you probably shouldn't take them to the zoo.

As for the zoo's residents, animal care staff will be on hand to monitor them and to make sure the presence of all those pups isn't stressing them out, according to Perez.

“They're always checking the animals, but they'll be extra vigilant on Saturday,” he said.

Admission to Dog Day is $27.99 per dog, with one dog per adult, in addition to the normal ticket price, which starts at $31.99 for adults and $27.99 for children ages 3 to 11 or by presenting a membership card.

Other activities include a dog costume parade and trick-or-treating for both humans and their pups.