Before the first guests arrived, Animal Science Club members rushed across the field, setting up booths, arranging dog-friendly activities and finalizing details. Months of planning had led them to this moment and despite the unexpected challenges, they were determined to make the day a success.

The club organized a fundraiser called Doggy’s Day Out aimed at supporting their organization while creating an event for dog lovers for the first time.

“We wanted to bring a community of people who cared about animals and dogs specifically to be together,” junior treasurer and junior Cheyenne Kutz said.

Planning took months of coordination, from booking the field to securing vendors. Club members worked with administrators and local businesses to make sure everything was set up properly.

“Claire [Morrison] talked to the Westwood people, Mr. Choat, the principal, called them to get the field booked, and book everything together,” Kutz said.

However, the club faced challenges throughout the process. Rain caused them to delay the event, forcing vendors and attendees to rearrange schedules.

With the date change, some vendors, including a group that had planned to bring rescued adoptable dogs, were no longer able to attend. Despite that, many guests brought their own dogs.

As the event began, club members watched as everything they had worked for came together. Families played games with their dogs, visited vendor booths, and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere.

“Everybody, you could just tell, was in a good, happy mood,” Morales said. “And that was honestly just what I wanted to accomplish. And we did that.”

The Animal Science Club hopes to continue Doggy’s Day Out as an annual tradition, using what they learned this year to make future events even bigger and better.

“I think everybody had that realization that all this hard work wasn’t for nothing,” junior president Claire Morrison said. “It was for something beautiful.”