It's going to be a furrtastic summer for doggie walks with Western Bay of Plenty District Council's new-look Wander Dogs Summer Series starting next month.

The Wander Dog event calendar includes an extra special free Mud Dog Run to celebrate TECT Park's 10^th birthday on November 28, Doggy Day Out on February 13, 2021, at the Katikati Uretara Domain and Dogs in Togs at Te Puke Memorial Pool on April 10, 2021.

The first walk in the Wander Summer Series Dog series will be on Saturday, November 14, at the Te Puna Quarry Park – always one of the favourite adventures on the walkies calendar.

Council's spokesdog Alfie is pretty excited about having his new buddy Brownie to help promote the summer series.

Brownie – the five-month-old Australian Terrier/Maltese/Shih Tzu pup from Te Puke – is lending Alfie a paw to help promote dog events and dog education in the District. Brownie was the winner of Council's Facebook competition to register and post his photo with his 2020/21 blue tag.

Alfie and Brownie invite dog lovers and their four-legged friends to join the series. The walks are free and everyone gets a special doggy treat bag to take home.

Animal Services Team Leader Dan Barnes says the walks give dog owners the chance to get out and about with their pooches in a safe, friendly and social environment.

'Every year the series has grown in popularity and it's great to see many people and their dogs return every year. These walks make for a fun summer for our canine community and their owners.

'We are excited for this year's series – not only because little Brownie has teamed up with Alfie, but we are planning a new-look, free Mud Dog Run and we are hoping Doggy Day Out will be even bigger than ever,” says Dan.

'Our team loves meeting owners and their dogs. We can provide friendly and helpful advice about dogs' behaviour, such as preventing dogs pulling on leads, improving dogs' social manners and answering general concerns like barking, jumping up and aggression.”

Council has run the walk series since 2015, introducing owners and their dogs to many lovely spots across the District.

To stay up-to-date with all the latest news visit: www.westernbay.govt.nz/wanderdogs

2020/21 Western Bay Wander Dogs Summer Series schedule