Soggy Doggy Dip 2019 at the Vandalia Cassel Hills Public Pool

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Imagine that it’s evening on Labor Day. The sun hasn’t quite set yet and it’s still shining. The weather is in the 70’s - not too cool, but not too hot. You’re at a pretty large public pool.

And there are dozens of dogs… Swimming in the pool. Running around the pool. Jumping in and out of the pool.

This was the scene yesterday evening at the Cassel Hills Swimming Pool in Vandalia. Every year on Labor Day they hold their annual Soggy Doggy Dip.

The Soggy Doggy Dip is just some pool time reserved for dogs before the pool is closed for the season.

My dog Princess, who looks much like a black lab, loves swimming and loves the water, so we absolutely could not miss this event. So yesterday, after my wife made a delicious lasagna dinner, we packed Princess and some old bath towels into our minivan and headed to the pool.

Princess gets excited no matter where we go - we might just be going for a car ride, or perhaps on a hike somewhere. She even loves going to the vet!

However, her absolute favorite thing to do is swim. As soon as we walked through the locker building and she saw the water, her excitement level went through the roof.

Princess Swiming

The poor girl had to wait with us in line while the pool staff checked her tags and vaccination paperwork. But once we paid the five-dollar entry fee and let her off of her leash, she had a blast!

At first, she was a little reluctant to jump into the pool - the Cassel Hills Swimming Pool doesn’t have a “beach entry” or even stairs to its pool. But after a minute - max - she plopped into the pool and swam from one end of the pool to the other.

I did get in the pool with her, but I just couldn’t keep up. Princess is a much better swimmer than me. In fact, she swam past me several times!

Another image of Princess Swiming

Even once I came out of the pool, by the time I went to the side of the pool she was on… She had already made it to the other side!

Princess on the poolside.

This continued for the next forty-five minutes. Towards the end, however, I could tell she was getting tired. Her swim was a little slower. She would spend more time at the side of the pool - enough time that I could actually get to her. And she actually got out of the pool a few times, although I had to help pull her out.

Princess didn’t want to go. She wanted to keep swimming. But I could tell she was getting tired, and she’s getting old. The gray on her face betrays her seemingly youthful energy - come October she will be twelve years old.

Princess on the poolside with her big tongue.

While the swim was good for her, I didn’t want her to overexert herself - especially in the middle of a swimming pool.

That night Princess was exhausted. I’m sure she slept extremely well last night. I could even tell she was sore this morning.

If you have dogs, I highly encourage you to bring them to next year’s Soggy Doggy Dip. It’s a great opportunity for your dog to get some exercise as well as get some socialization in as well.