If you go
› What: Animal Emergency Nooga Dog Town.› When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 23.› Where: Animal Emergency & Specialty Center, 6393 Lee Highway.› Admission: Free.› Phone: 423-301-2096.› Website: www.chattanoogaspecialty.vet.
DockDogs schedule
Saturday, April 239 a.m. Big Air10:30 a.m. Big AirNoon. Big Air1:30 p.m. Big Air3 p.m. Extreme Vertical (all-in-one finals)5 p.m. Big AirSunday, April 2410 a.m. Big Air11:30 a.m. Big Air1 p.m. Speed Retrieve (all-in-one finals)3 p.m. Big Air finals
Officials with Animal Emergency & Specialty Center will introduce the new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital at an open house Saturday, April 23, that includes a Smoky Mountain DockDogs competition. The aquatic contests, for dogs that love to run, jump and swim, will continue in an abbreviated version Sunday, April 24.
Owned by Innovetive Petcare Inc., the Animal Emergency & Specialty Center is a 24-hour facility equipped with CT, ultrasound, endoscopy and full orthopedic surgical suites. Its specialists handle surgical, orthopedic, cancer (oncologic) and avian and exotic animal cases.
"Animal Emergency & Specialty Center has been serving Chattanooga from a smaller facility on Shallowford Road," says marketing director Dr. Karen Parker. "This new facility on Lee Highway is larger, more accessible and encourages greater coordination between the emergency doctors and specialists."
Tours of the new facility will be given from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visitors also may talk with vendors, purchase refreshments and pick up goodies courtesy of the hospital and event sponsors. Raffle prizes also will be awarded.
Meanwhile, a large pool will be set up for the canines from Smoky Mountain DockDogs, a Knoxville-based club that serves East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Dogs will compete in Big Air (long jump), Extreme Vertical (high jump) and Speed Retrieve (100-yard dash). First- through third-place ribbons and cash prizes ($75, $50 and $25) will be awarded in each of three contests, as well as Iron Dog for the Top 3 competitors overall.
Admission is free to the open house, which has been dubbed Animal Emergency Nooga Dog Town. Proceeds from the day's events will benefit McKamey Animal Center.
Competition categories
› Big Air: In people terms, its the long jump. The dog’s favorite floating object is thrown into the pool, then the dog travels down the dock and launches into the water. The length of the jump is measured from the end of the dock to where the base of the tail enters the water.› Extreme Vertical: In people terms, the high jump. The run is shortened to get the maximum launch off the dock to grab a bumper suspended over the pool. Bumpers are training bars that dogs can grip in their teeth.› Speed Retrieve: In people terms, the 100-yard dash. This event clocks how fast the dog can sprint down the dock, jump into the water and swim to retrieve a bumper suspended at the far end of the pool.