These dogs had a day

On Saturday afternoon, just 15 minutes after Nelly took a quick bath in a kids’ pool, she was already dry, hot and tired from the late summer sun.

But Nelly was a good sport, showing off her multitude of tricks that include fetching Dichard’s phone, keys, weaving in and out of his legs in a figure eight, leaping off the ground into his arms and barking while standing tall on her hind legs.

Something the duo can’t train for is an obstacle course. That didn’t stop the pair from running the agility course at the Fur Kids Foundation’s annual Pet-a-Palooza fundraiser.

The event included a police dog demo, blessing of the pets, a canine freestyle, paw print art, the Pawject Runway fashion show, a small dog showdown and several other activities.

Dichard said this was his and Nelly’s first time attending.

“We love it,” he said. “It’s great to be able to socialize and to interact with other dogs in the community. Nelly likes to mingle with other dogs.”

Dichard also said he enjoys being around all the volunteers, dog lovers and people dedicated to helping rescues and other pets.

Nelly looked sharp on the agility course, knocking over a few poles on the high jumps in the process. But when it came to running over bridges, jumping through tires and taking a rest in the shade of a tree, she nailed it.