Dogs ran through Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday as the WSU Cougar Athletic Department and the Whitman County Humane Society teamed up to host the second annual Dog Day at the Park fundraiser.

The event, which raises monetary donations for the society’s Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), is held each season during a home baseball game. Susan Wang, vice president of shelter operations, said the athletic department approached the humane society last year about working together on the event. It is a good way to bring attention to SNAP, she said.

“All the proceeds collected go to our SNAP program,"Wang said."That program reimburses an amount of the cost to get (an animal) neutered. Getting neutered is the only thing that has been proven to lower the amount of homeless dogs. Our funding for the program has to be completely separate from everything else that we do, and this is the only fundraiser that we have had success with for that program.”

Cougar fans, families and students brought their dogs to the park while enjoying a men’s baseball game.  Some students said seeing all the dogs in attendance made them miss their companions at home.

“I have two dogs at home in Othello,” senior sport management major Kirstin Segale said. “I think that it is exciting that they are able to put on an event like this, because it brings us together, but it makes me miss them even more than I already do.”

The Whitman County Human Society also had a number of dogs up for adoption at the event.

Senior sport management major Brielle Groen said the turn-out the first year the event was held was good and it was exciting to see such a good turnout again this year.

“It was one of the most entertaining games of the season,"she said."It is a good opportunity for the humane society to gain more exposure and for some dogs to have the opportunity to go to good homes.”

For more information on how to help the Whitman County Humane Society and the dogs in need, students can visit whitmanpets.org.