Exciting news for those who are Nationals fans and dog lovers!! The Washington Nationals will be hosting their first ever Pups in the Park days on Saturday and Sunday, September 5 & 6. You’ve probably been to a few games during which the Nationals had adoption events during which dogs in need of homes were paraded around the outside of the plaza. And perhaps you’ve seen ads for Pups in the Park recently and thought this was the same thing. Oh, but it is so much better…

This pilot program will enable fans to bring their favorite dog to the park with them! You heard me right: Your dog can watch the game with you from the Left Field Mezzanine area. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.nationals.com/pups and cost $20 for a human ticket and $5 for a dog ticket with proceeds from this event benefiting the Washington Humane Society. The entire $5 of the dog ticket, plus $2 from every human ticket purchased will go to WHS – that’s pretty dog gone good! That’s really like spending $18 on a seat in the LF Mezzanine and then donating $7 to WHS (and by the way, those seats cost $30 for regular games). Seats are limited, so please act fast!

This sounds pretty good, right? So how does it work? What’s the catch? First of all, tickets are only available for purchase online – no walk ups! Season Ticket Holders who already have tickets to this game must exchange their season tickets and then purchase a “Pups in the Park” ticket online from the site above in order to participate in the event.

On game day, you must enter through the Left Field Gate. After entering the gate, you must drop off a signed waiver indicating that your dog is up to date on all his/her shots and vaccinations. The waivers will be emailed to you after you purchase your tickets so you can fill them out ahead of time.

You might be asking yourself, “But what it if is a hot day and my dog is thirsty” (or my dog has to, you know, go)? For the comfort of all pooches, a water and relief area will be located on the landing of Section 201.

No dogs will be allowed at the concession areas! So now you are thinking, “But what if I want something from the concession areas?” Of course you can leave your dog with your guest, but what if you are alone? These Nationals event coordinators think of everything; you may leave your dog with Pet Sitters who will be located on the Section 201 landing area as well.

I can personally say that I love this idea, and I am completely disappointed that my dog Emma and I cannot attend this event. I will be out of town, and unless her grandma or her uncle offers to take her, she will have to miss out. But I can also say that I attended a Nationals game at Turner Field in Atlanta a few summers ago and it happened to be Pups in the Park day for The Braves. The event seemed to be very successful down there, and I have been hoping ever since that the Nationals would come through with a similar event.

The Nationals have provided me with some helpful hints for making Pups in the Park a success:

You are responsible for your dog’s behavior at the event

Keep your dog under control at all times

Watch for and immediately correct any warning signs of potential aggression (Carolyn’s added note here: These symptoms may also occur if the Marlins start to score runs)

o Tail straight up and stiff
o Hair raised on their backs
o Lips raised to snarl
o Growling

Dogs pick up on your energy – stay calm, assertive, and be the leader of your Pack!

When Humans Greet Dogs

o Greet the owner first and ask the owner if it is OK to greet their dog
o Avoid eye contact with the dog initially – they can interpret this as a challenge
o Do not offer food to a dog other than your own without the owner’s permission

When Dogs Greet Dogs

o Dogs sniff each other- this is a universal and appropriate way for them to greet
o Allow your dog to sniff and be sniffed by others – if they growl or snap, they are being rude – and you will need to keep them restrained

So I hope all you Nats fan/dog lovers reading this will go out there and have a great time with your best friend, while also raising money for the Washington Humane Society. After all, rescue dogs are awesome! Just ask my little Emma.

For any other information I may have missed or to purchase your tickets, please visit the Nationals online (www.nationals.com/pups).

Pups in the Park Release and Waiver

And the link on Facebook.

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