It was a yappy day!
A Clinton Hill pet care company bathed hundreds of dirty dogs during its seventh annual Great Dog Wash event on Saturday, which raised funds to fix a nearby animal shelter’s broken-down adoption van.
“The whole event was a high,” said Helen Bowers, chief marketing officer for dog-walking and pet-care business Brooklyn Bark.
About 25 volunteers gathered outside Sean Casey’s E. Third Street no-kill animal shelter near Fort Hamilton Parkway on Aug. 3, where they scrubbed down a small army of musty mutts, according to Bowers.
Some dogs protested their baths, but the Brooklyn Bark volunteers came prepared with handfuls of tasty treats, which placated the impatient pooches long enough to rinse them clean, Bowers said.
But Kings County canines weren’t the only ones to leave with a snack — a bake sale at the event sold dozens of sugary goods, including brownies and Lucky Charms-marshmallow treats.
And after everyone one was nice and clean, Brooklyn Bark lent owners pooch-sized sunglasses and little bowler hats so they could dress up their dapper dogs for a photo shoot.
“I really loved when the owners would take pictures of their doggies with hats,” Bower said.
On Saturday, Brooklyn Bark raked in $2,300 to fix the broken van. The pet care company has hosted several fundraisers to repair Sean Casey Animal Rescue’s immobile adoption van for two years, and has raised about $10,000 so far towards the $40,000 needed to fix the vehicle. A fully functional van would allow the no-kill, Windsor Terrace-based shelter to travel around Brooklyn, finding friendly owners for its adorable cats and dogs.
If you missed the dog wash, don’t fear — there are plenty of fun events to come. On Sept. 20, Sean Casey’s Animal Rescue will sponsor an all-you-can-eat breakfast and brunch buffet (for humans only), and in the fall, Brooklyn Bark will offer cat and dog CPR classes, charging $150 per piece.
