Next Saturday morning, May 14, 2016, make your way to Lake Lurleen State Park for the most unique dog competition in the area!
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You may have heard of Iron Man competitions, which consist of swimming, biking and running a marathon. Next Saturday morning folks in Tuscaloosa will see a new canine version called Druid City Iron Dog. Dog owners and their four-legged buddies work as teams in a revised triathalon, beginning with a two-mile run (or walk), an agility course, and a version of fetch that requires the dog to swim in Lake Lurleen to retrieve a toy. You can register to compete with your canine companion in one, two or all three parts of the event.
The idea is to encourage people to be more active with their pets. The benefits are better health for both humans and animals, and an opportunity to have a fun activity with your best friend. A bonus will be strengthening the bond between owner and pet as they work together to complete the walk or master the agility course. Stations on the agility course include weave poles, a teeter-totter, a tunnel, and for extra points you can have your dog perform its best or favorite trick at the end of the course.
The Druid City Iron Dog competition will be held at beautiful Lake Lurleen State Park. Check-in and registration begins at 7am, and events begin at 8 o’clock, beginning with the 2-mile dog walk, followed by the agility course and ending with the swim relay. The awards ceremony and drawings for door prizes will take place starting at 11 am.
The fee for participation is $35 if you pre-register, or $40 the day of the event. That includes a picnic lunch in the park. You will also have to pay the park’s $4 entry fee. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Humane Society of West Alabama and Tuscaloosa’s Metro Animal Shelter. All dogs must be on leashes, and (for safety reasons) no retractable leashes are allowed.
If you’re feeling left out because you don’t have a dog, you will have an opportunity to adopt one at the event. For more information visit the website at DruidCityIronDog.com. If you like dogs, you’ll want to be at Lake Lurleen State Park next Saturday morning, when you’re speaking of pets.
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