What is cuter than dogs? Dogs having a pool party and eating ice cream, obviously! Good news for you and your pupper, because on August 10, Bushwick Bark is hosting their fifth annual Doggy Ice Cream Pool Party Fundraiser at Norwinds Bar. Every dollar spent on having a good time with your furry best friend goes directly to Second Chance Rescue (SCR), a pet rescue shelter that makes sure other dogs can find a good human like you.
Who are the humans behind this?
As soon as she opened her first healthy pet food and supply store, Dottie Evans started organizing fundraising events for fellow pet-loving organizations that could use some extra support. Her events are always fun and “just happen to be for a great cause.” Outside of her store, she had a small dog pool that was loved by floofs who needed some cooling off on a hot day. When she was talking to the owner of Norwinds Bar, which has a big dog-friendly yard, she put two and two together and came up with the plan to have doggy pool party fundraisers.
Sounds cool, but what is a doggy pool party?
Imagine this: a big yard busting with dogs splashing and jumping from one little rainbow-colored pool into the next. If the water isn’t refreshing enough, doggos can slobber up some ice cream from Ollie’s. The owner, Eric Kyriakopoulos, told Bushwick Daily that he’ll serve the dogs “peanut butter banana butt” ice cream with a topping of crushed dog treats. Humans can eat it, too, he said, but it might taste a bit bland for them. Eric and his instafamous dog Simon will come to the event, too.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “I meet great people and their dogs at the park. I think this is a cool idea that Bushwick Bark gets those people together in at atmosphere that’s not surrounded by dog poop.”
Great for the dogs, but can their humans come too?
Yes, this event will be fun for humans too. More importantly, they need to bring their wallets. Even though the party is free, the goal is to raise money for dogs in need. With their money, they can buy $20 wristbands that gets them unlimited beers from SixPoint (the event’s sponsor), and they can get raffle tickets to win fabulous prices from What’s Up Dawg Bk, Faro, PupHubNYC, RebelDawg, Brooklyn’s Finest Dog Training and Bushwick’s Best Dog Walker. There will also be photo booths where pups and people can take a fun photo to commemorate this day forever.
Who is this fundraiser for?
This year’s beneficiary is Second Chance Rescue (SCR), a pet rescue shelter that tries to help every pet in need.
“They take on the really tough cases,” Dottie said. “They take on abused ones, burned ones, it can get really crazy. That’s why we chose to donate to them this time. There’s other rescuers out there that take on the cute and fluffy dogs and don’t care about the ones that really, really need it.”
SCR is on a mission to reduce overpopulation in shelters and does so by facilitating the adoption and fostering of animals who need a new home. They make sure all pets get the medical attention they need and don’t get put down unnecessarily.
“We love that this event helps shine a light on rescue,” said Dana Nauta, a SCR volunteer. “No one has organized anything like this for us before. We’re really excited.”
So, what can you do for SCR’s dogs?
During her fundraisers, Dottie raises between three and five thousand dollars. An amount like this could change the lives of so many dogs. Like Baby, who was weakened by living on the streets for years and needs daily medication for her heart. Or Cooper, who was found stuck in a fence and needs constant assistance because he can’t walk properly. And what about Calette, who was saved from a shelter where she was on the “kill list” for no reason at all.
Yes, these dogs need your help. So go have a good time with your pupperino and help other sweet dogs while you’re at it.
Images courtesy of Bushwick Bark.
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