BEATRICE – For the 8th year, the Beatrice Humane Society ended the Big Blue Aquatic Park season with their annual Doggie Dip….a fundraiser for the society and its no-kill shelter.


Society President Gina Heckey said doing advance online reservations for the first time, where people could bring their dog to the park for a $10 donation, worked well.


"Online reservations...still ten dollars per dog...just made the line go a little bit faster. Anyone who did online reservations could enter a drawing for an M-R-D-N-A kit. We've got a lot of shelter animals who we're sure what their whole lineage is...so it's a nice way to test to see how much lab is in there....or how much hound you have in your dog."


The 6 to 8 p.m. event was divided into two one-hour sessions….generally the big dogs first…..the smaller, older dogs next. Roger Aveyard brought his golden doodles…named Happy and Howdy to the event along with his grandkids. He’s been at the swim every year it’s been held…describing it as a slam-dunk party.


"I really look forward to this day...I enjoy it more than the dogs do, I think."


Aveyard said the community is very blessed to have the local animal shelter and the services it provides. Heckey says the reach of the shelter with its online presence has grown. She says the organization is still studying the possibility of a low-cost spay and neuter clinic at an off-site location.  "We still see the need for that low-cost spay and neuter, especially with the amount of strays we get in...cats and dogs, there's a lot of strays...and that's just because controlling the population is essential."


The society’s goal is to adopt out as many animals as it can. As for Tuesday night’s event, there were around 75 advance sign-ups. People could also donate goods at the society’s van parked outside the water park.


"Doing the stuff the bus is always really great, too. People bring litter, dog food and cat food, blankets and all kinds of stuff."


The Beatrice Humane Society Shelter, which serves Beatrice and Gage County and has a regional influence, is located at the west edge of Beatrice. The proceeds from Tuesday’s event go to support daily shelter operations.