{"id":7071,"date":"2026-08-17T18:11:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T18:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7071"},"modified":"2026-08-17T18:11:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T18:11:46","slug":"photos-dogs-make-a-splash-at-santa-cruzs-annual-parks-and-rex-pool-party-fundraiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7071","title":{"rendered":"Photos: Dogs make a splash at Santa Cruz’s annual Parks and Rex pool party fundraiser"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANTA CRUZ \u2014 Simpkins Family Swim Center in Live Oak was full of doggy paddlers Saturday afternoon, as pups of all shapes and sizes explored their aquatic skills during the 11th annual Parks and Rex pool party for dogs and families.<\/p>

Read more Watch: Santa Cruz teen lifeguard Ryder Williams at the White House<\/a><\/p>\n

The Parks and Rex event, a joint pool party hosted by Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter and Santa Cruz County Parks and Recreation, is a way for community members to come together over one last summer pool day, said Amber Rowland, Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter general manager.<\/p>\n

Simpkins invites over 300 peoples\u2019 furry friends into the pool for a once-a-year treat before its annual pool deep clean the next day, Rowland said. The event featured aquatic activities for kids, adults and dogs, plus a raffle that included tickets to Disneyland and a Giants vs. Dodgers game.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany dogs enjoy swimming, and the ocean experience is not for every dog, and so I think that\u2019s where the idea kind of came from \u2014 that this would be an opportunity once a year for pet lovers and parks lovers to get together and kind of meet a need for some additional funding for the youth programs and for the animal shelter,\u201d Rowland said.<\/p>\n

Participants had a set 15-minute time limit in the warm water pool for their dogs to swim, splash through the spray zone and play with other dogs \u2014 and each session sold out. Afterwards, people could grab a whipped cream pup cup for their dogs, learn about the animal shelter\u2019s programs and browse an array of accessories for their dogs, such as pet portraits from local watercolor artist Jae Liang.<\/p>\n

Liang is a dog volunteer with the animal shelter, as well as a certified dog trainer, and has come to Parks and Rex for the last three years to paint live portraits of people\u2019s dogs in about 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Jen Catarino came to Simpkins Family Swim Center with her aunt and uncle who brought their three border collies \u2014 Hoaka, Hoku and Panda. Their dogs are no strangers to water, Catarino said, telling a story about how Panda jumped into the pool unprompted at a friend\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

When Nancy Kahumoku, Catarino\u2019s aunt, visited California from Maui last year, she heard about the Parks and Rex event and knew she had to find a way to attend.<\/p>

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\u201cI saw it last year when we were just visiting, and I said, \u2018Oh, I want to be there,\u2019\u201d Kahumoku said. \u201cSo I thought, \u2018By golly, I\u2019m going to be at Parks and Rex this year.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She and her husband, slack key guitarist George Kahumoku, moved to the mainland from Maui in 2025 and had to ship Hoaka, Hoku and Panda to Los Angeles, where they road-tripped the dogs up to Santa Cruz County.<\/p>\n