Paws at the Park

USO Rota was hands down Paws-itively excited to launch our newest program in February, Paws at the park! This event allows the opportunity to serve our service members by including their furry family members. USO Rota knows the benefits of having pets while overseas; they make us feel less alone, entertain us with their antics, greet us with an exuberant tail wag every day, and encourage us to be more active. Knowing this, we strive to include them in our mission to serve our military service members and their families. We aim to bring pet owners and their fur babies together for an afternoon of socializing and creative, active play. The human participants that attended our event had a perfect day meeting other community members while centered in a dog-friendly environment.

Paws at the Park was held outside the Rota air terminal. We had dogs of all sizes and breeds participate in our agility course. Which included a few different obstacles; running through a tunnel, jumping through a hoop, and bobbing for hotdogs. The owners enjoyed watching their dogs learn new skills while meeting new doggie friends. After the excitement of play, our four-legged friends enjoyed a snack of homemade treats one of our amazing volunteers made and a pup cup filled with yummy, whipped cream.

The fur babies and their families had pictures taken in front of our Valentine’s Day photo backdrop with cute heart-shaped glasses and USO bandanas to commemorate our event. USO Rota is grateful for the success of our first Paws at the Park and cannot wait to host this monthly event. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers and amazing community, our programs would not be possible without their commitment to our goal of making a difference in our community members’ lives. Thank you to our Rota community for a paw-fect day!