Dogs Don’t Swim in Peoria
More proof that The State of Illinois is just slightly overbearing… the “pooch plunge” has been canceled indefinitely.
The pooch plunge is the year end event where dogs, and dogs only, are allowed to dive into and swim around in the Peoria Park District pools just before they are drained at the end of the swimming season. Unfortunately, this unique event will not take place this fall because of a “one size fits all” state law.
For the last four years, the park district invited dog owners to bring their pets for a swim at the end of the regular outdoor pool season, a date which varies depending on the weather. Chlorinators were turned off; only the dogs were allowed to get in the pool. Afterward, the pool was drained for the year.
The Illinois Department of Public Health issued letters in 2004 and 2006 to discourage the practice. The Park District Risk Management Agency told IDPH that most, if not all, such events are after the season, with no people in the pool. When the department responded that made no difference, the group recommended its members cancel any events for fear of losing their pool licenses.
Noble pointed out that cities in states all around country have “doggie dips,” but this state is the only one to ban them.
For the record, I am not a dog owner.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
How about: “Hey, Bill. Give me a call. It’s important.” And I have no friggin idea who is calling me.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Huh?
August 10th, 2007 at 2:02 am
We can’t get a budget or anything important passed but we can get a dog swimming ban in Illinois?
Can Springfield’s priorities get any more messed up?
August 10th, 2007 at 9:08 am
That’s it, we need to dam the Illinois River to keep the water free of all those bald eagles–only boats and jet-ski’s should be allowed on the water. We also need to start closing lakes, because there’s a chance people might want to swim there, but ducks and fish swim in them. Let’s also monitor people’s private pools to make sure their dogs don’t go in them. Let’s also ban birdbaths, because… birds… uh… right.
August 10th, 2007 at 9:16 am
I was very sad to see that the Pooch Plunge was not happening this year. My dog LOVED it last year. The only complaint I had was the same complaint I have of dog owners all the time - people don’t clean up after their dogs. I’m sorry, but when your dog poops in the pool, you should clean it up.
I will say that the comment that there are “no people in the pool” is false. People don’t get in the deep pools, but people do get in the wading pools with their dogs, some go underwater, etc. Last year, the only warning we got was to keep children out of the pool, adults were allowed in.
August 10th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Keep the damn dogs out of the pool, I wish the Park District was as concerned about the general maintenance of the public pools as they are about the water poop festival. Sort of like fiddling while Rome burns.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
That’s another way of looking at it.