I LOVE including dogs in promotions! Who doesn’t love doggos? Ok, some may not be dog people, but most are. When animals are included in promotions it tends to tug at the heart strings as well. This promotion idea will need a little more research. I’m sure the pools know all about what needs to happen on their end in order to make sure it’s safe for everyone, but if we can help since we’re bringing the promotion to them, it’s a good idea to do some research on our end as well.
A lot of pools across the country already do this, if that’s the case in your area, you can team up with them. If not, introduce the Dog Labor Day Swim Day. Most public pools close up shop Labor Day weekend. Some pools use this final day as a dog swim with the dog parents. It’s super fun and a great way to get out in the community!
A few things will need to go into this if the pool hasn’t done this before. You will, first, need to get with sales to find someone who wants to approach this with a client. From there, set up a meeting with the rep and the manager of the pool. Go into the meeting with as much research as possible.
Every state is different, but the basics are:
- Make sure the pup is vaccinated. They will need to register in advance and provide vaccination forms. I wouldn’t allow walk-up entry.
- Provide places for the dogs to go potty. Make sure as soon as dogs and their humans enter, they know where the potty spots are.
- Have the event heavily staffed by lifeguards.
- As soon as you see a dog acting unfriendly, kindly ask the dog and human to leave. You don’t want a legal matter on your hands.
- Have rinse off stations for your dog to get any chlorine or chemical off them before they leave.
All in all, it’s a matter of safety for everyone involved.
As far as sponsors go, you can get a lot involved! Ask local vets, local doggy daycares, pet chains for donations. Have tents set up in the pool area for pet vendors. This can be as big or as small as you want it to be! Sales would be ecstatic to have something to bring to their clients. The pool will be very happy to have a blowout for their end of season. This is a great opportunity for them to have concessions open and get rid of any lingering food leftover from the season.
Again, every state is different and has different rules when it comes to public pools. This can get the conversation started among radio staff and the sales department! You only have a few weeks to make this happen so you’ll need to get started asap, but this is a really fun end of season promotion!
Photo provided by FreePik