Midtown OKC dog park hosting free summer splash fest

The summer heat is ramping up, but there is a new opportunity coming up for dog owners wanting to keep their pets cool.

The Midtown Mutts Dog Park will host its first-ever Midtown Mutts Summer Splash Fest, a free, family-friendly dog festival hosted by Elevate: Pet Boutique.

The Coca-Cola Southwest beverages Porch visited the park to speak with event organizers about what to expect.

One of the people putting the event on, Elevate: Pet Boutique owner Helen Han.

Elevate: Pet Boutique is a specialty pet supply store in Midtown OKC that offers healthy foods, treats, “barkuterie” boards, enrichment toys, trendy accessories and apparel, canine nutrition consultations, and a self-serve dog wash station.

She decided to create this family and pet-friendly event to promote pet adoptions, support local small businesses, and bring together all of the pet-loving people of our community for a fun summer celebration.

Han said the event on Saturday will feature much more than just water activities.

"We are planning some local DJs for live music, as well as plenty of food trucks," Han said. "We have açai bowls and ice cream, and we just have so many cool local small businesses that will be here as vendors, as well as plenty of adoptable dogs. It's going to be an action-packed summer festival, and we'll have pads available as well for your dogs to cool off."

Han said she has long sought to be an advocate for animal welfare, and this event is her way of bringing Oklahoma City's animal lovers together.

"This is a great way to celebrate the pet-friendly community that we have here in Oklahoma," Han said. "We'll have plenty of dogs available for adoption, so it will be a really great chance for you to meet your new very best friend."

With a heavy emphasis on adoption, other event organizers, such as 405 Animal Rescue Direction Operator Justina Tynes, say it is a good way to see how a certain dog behaves in public before you adopt.

"These events are immeasurable; people get to meet the dogs in person," Tynes said. "They get to see their personalities, their playfulness and things like that, versus just looking on a website."

Tynes says she plans to bring around 30 dogs to Saturday's event.

All friendly dogs (either on or off leash) are welcome at this event, and there will be frozen pup cups and splash pads for the dogs to cool off.

The event is made possible by Midtown OKC, Family Dentistry of Yukon, JPOP, and Elevate: Pet Boutique — and a special shoutout to Midtown Renaissance for allowing us to use their beautiful new dog park for the event.

For more about the Midtown Mutts Summer Splash Festival, visit the event's social media page.