Similarly to how they do it when their owners arrive home, more than 50 four-legged friends bolted through the gates of Dogwood Park on Saturday morning as soon as they were released from their leashes.
The dogs were looking for treats. But instead of having to make googly eyes and beg, they had to scour the park for hundreds of treat-filled Easter eggs if they wanted to fill their bellies.
The fifth-annual Easter egg hunt at Dogwood Park & Daycare, at 5505 SW Archer Road, raised $3,186 for Gainesville Pet Rescue, Danielle Cummings, the developmental coordinator at Gainesville Pet Rescue, wrote in an email. Families paid $10 for their first dog to participate and $5 for each additional dog.
All of the proceeds benefited the pet rescue’s efforts to save homeless, sick or injured animals in Alachua County, Cummings said. The donations went toward veterinary services or products from business.
Stella sits on a table watching the other dogs hunt for Easter eggs. The papillon was happier being a spectator to the fifth-annual Pups in the Park event Saturday.
Dogs posed for a photo booth in front of a pastel backdrop with bunny ears and a basket of eggs.
Deirdre, a 1-year-old black lab mix, jumped straight into the water after being unhooked from her leash. She passed by about 20 multicolored plastic eggs filled with dog treats without even realizing.
None of the dogs seemed to care about finding eggs. It was their owners who were competitive. One dog owner carried a plastic grocery bag with more than 40 eggs inside.
By the end of the hunt, Deirdre, now covered in mud, only collected about eight.
“At first, I had an angry soccer mom attitude,” said 24-year-old Lois Schwartz, Deirdre’s owner. “Then I realized how much fun she was having and that I was really there to help support other pups finding their homes so they can also have fun.”
The dog and owner who found the most eggs were awarded a three-month membership to Dogwood Park & Daycare. Dogwood members receive discounted prices for park entry, boarding and daycare.
Luna, a soft-coated wheaten terrier, is trying to locate the treat hidden inside the plastic egg. She was one of more than 50 pups who attended the Easter egg hunt at Dogwood Park & Daycare Saturday.
Second place received two free nights of boarding, and third place received a bath card good for 10 baths at the self-service station.
The hunt lasted for a little more than an hour. Volunteers were available after to bathe the muddy pups in exchange for a donation to the rescue.
“I was so thankful for the doggy baths,” Schwartz said. “Deirdre didn’t have to get back in the car smelling all gross.”
The park partnered with Florida Credit Union, Jonesville Animal Hospital, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gainesville Health & Fitness, Suburban Animal Hospital, Changing the Future Outcome and South Beach Tanning Co. to put on the event.
Deirdre, right, a 1-year-old black lab mix, jumped straight into the water after being unhooked from her leash Saturday at the fifth-annual Easter egg hunt at Dogwood Park & Daycare. She passed by about 20 multicolored plastic eggs filled with dog treats without even realizing.
