Hundreds turned out for the annual Dog Days of Summer event hosted by the Knights of Columbus (Council #3674) at Cook Park, in partnership with the village of Libertyville.
The event ran from Friday through Sunday amid dog days of summer weather.
Newcomers to the sport, in addition to professionals from the Dock Dogs National Canine Aquatic Competition, encouraged their dogs to go the distance.
The pool surface was regularly skimmed to keep things from floating on the water. Someone maintaining the pool on Friday said no errant cicadas were found.
Noise from 17-year cicadas, now faint in many locations after the peak of cicada activity, was replaced in downtown Libertyville by dog barking, dramatic splashes, audience clapping and color commentary coming from the loudspeaker.
“People that come here, they love their dogs and they’re all excited,” said Mike Lynn, a Dog Days of Summer co-coordinator along with John DeReu. “It’s just joy. People are happy.”
“Dog Days is the ‘fun event’ of the year, not only for the participants but also the spectators and visitors,” DeReu said.
The fundraising goal of Dog Days was $10,000, Lynn said, to benefit the St. Joseph Food Pantry at 112 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville. The Knights of Columbus supports St. Joseph Catholic Church of Libertyville.
Lynn said 300 households are registered as pantry clients from locations including Kenosha, Wisconsin, Waukegan, Mundelein and Round Lake. Clients do not have to be from Lake County, he said.
“It’s a grocery-style food pantry and that needs to be funded, so most of our efforts now are to fund that from this and other events,” Lynn said. “It costs us $20,000 a month to run the food pantry. It’s expensive.”
Dog owners new to the sport paid nominal fees to see if their pups would jump into the pool to chase a tossed ball or toy. The Friday opener featured amateur trials and then professionals, when dog handlers strive for jump distance.
Jeremy Hanchar of Round Lake Beach, who co-owns six dogs, started a dock dog water track as an amateur in 2014.
“There is a humbleness in trying to figure it out,” he said. “The crowds ooh and aah for the big-jumping dogs, but they really cheer and get excited for the first-timers that get out there and do it.
“This is my happy place,” Hanchar added. “This is where we have fun and we bond with the dogs.”
He said “the Holy Grail” for him “is when you have somebody who’s new and you give them your part of being a good experience and trying to help them, and then they come back and you see them get hooked just like how I got hooked. That brings me happiness.”
Gianna Forlenza, 14, a rising high school freshman from Libertyville, competed all three days with first-timer Demi, 4, a female German shepherd. Immediately after Demi’s jumping, she said, “It was pretty fun. I feel like it was a little bit stressful, but we did good.”
Spectator Brooke Folkrod of Libertyville said, “This is the first time that I came to watch the trial and it’s entertaining to see these dogs. It’s fun.”
Maddie, 1, a female labrador, jumped with the encouragement of Patrick Stacy of Libertyville.
“It was a blast,” Stacy said. “It was her second time jumping, so I think she went pretty far. We’re really happy to do it. I’ve been coming to see this for years. It’s great.”
Chris and Kari Le of Libertyville attended with their children Harlow, 5, Cooper, 8, and Brielle, 10.
“The dogs are cute,” Brielle said.
“It’s just a great opportunity to bring the community together with their extended family, which is pets. Super important,” Chris Le said.
