Bring Your Dog

to the

SciencePort Science Center’s Dog Days of Summer

 

           

            WOODBRIDGE — You can’t spend dog days without your dog. Pack up your pooch for a party. Put your leash on the pup for a day filled with a dog trot, contests, doggy massages and adventure. It’s all at the SciencePort Science Center’s Dog Days of Summer on Saturday, August 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dog Days of Summer is next to SciencePort Marina on the corner of Harborside and Palisades in Woodbridge.

 

The Dog Trot starts off the day at 10 a.m. Follow the crowd. Doggy contests start at noon. Does your dog have a long tail? There’s a prize for the entrant with the longest tail. Is Fido a fast eater? Enter him in Fastest Frosty Paws Eater. Prizes are awarded for the fluffiest entrant, the smallest canine, the biggest dog, the dog with the smallest feet, the pooch with the biggest feet and the pup with the biggest eyes. Do people keep telling you that you and your dog look alike? Enter the Best Dog/Human Look-Alike contest. Is your dog a real flag-waver? Enter her in the Most Patriotic Contest. If your dog is making a real fashion statement, enter her in the Best Accessories Contest.

 

Thinking about teaching your dog a new trick? Stop by the dog trainer’s booth for advice. Pamper your pup with a massage from Tails of Olde Town certified canine masseuse Joyce Tischer, 10 a.m.-noon. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Science Center. Watch for a dog safety demonstration by West Wind Dog Training’s and Safe Kids/Safe Dogs’ Karen Peak at 2 p.m. Take your dog on a walk through the wildlife refuge on site.

 

            Ready to adopt a dog or cat? Visit the adoption booths from Prince William County SPCA, Golden Retriever Rescue, Rottweiler Rescue, Yorkshire Terrier Rescue League, and Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue. Peruse dog booths from Karing by Kristina Total Pet Care, Four Paws Bakery, Scooby Shades and Boutique, A Walk n the Park, Paws Treat Authority, Ragged Mountain Dogs, All About Dogs, West Wind Dog Training, Karen's Safe Kids/Safe Dogs Program and Obedience Training, LB Boutique, Bowwow Designs, Regional Veterinary Referral Center, Alexandria Animal Welfare League, and Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery and Boutique. Food is available for purchase throughout the day.

 

Doggy water stations are available throughout the site. Dog bags are available to clean up after your pets. Dogs are required to be on a leash at all times. Dogs must also be up to date on all shots.

 

“Where do we get the term dog days of summer?” asks Science Center Executive Director Jack Parry. “Science Museum of Virginia Astronomy Director Ken Wilson has the answer.”

 

“There are many origins of the term,” Wilson says. “Historically, dog days of summer referrers to the time of the year when the star Sirius — known as the Dog Star— rises and sets with the sun. Long ago people believed that the extreme heat during the dog days was caused by a double whammy of the heat from Sirius combined with that of the sun.”

 

            Climb aboard Space Travels to discover why stars shine. Find out what you would weigh on different planets. Get a taste of traveling to Mars and Jupiter at a solar system movie. The 40-foot Space Travels vehicle is a self-contained space environment filled with interactive exhibits. It is a Science Museum of Virginia creation.

 

Special thanks to FOLC — Eclectic Homeschoolers for the dog contests.

 

Dog Days of Summer is a free event held rain or shine. The event is held on the future site of the SciencePort Science Center in SciencePort Town Center in Woodbridge. The riverside site is where the Occoquan and Potomac rivers meet and is adjacent to the new Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Land for the center has been offered by SciencePort developer Preston Caruthers. The SciencePort Science Center is a division of the Science Museum of Virginia.

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