Dirty pets to get clean at fundraiser

Got a dirty dog that needs to be cleaned? The student organization Revitalizing Animal Well-Being will be offering the chance to get a dog washed and help the community, too. \nThe group is welcoming all dogs in the community to be washed and dried during a day of pampering at the Dirty, Dirty Dog Wash on Sunday.\n“This is the first time we’ve ever done anything like this,” said Courtney Wennerstrom, co-president and co-founder of Revitalizing Animal Well-Being. “It’ll be fun to see what happens.” \nThe animals will also have a chance to interact and play with other dogs while being pampered, she said. \nOrganizers of the dog wash are asking that owners getting their pets washed donate $5 to the Bloomington Animal Shelter, but all donations are welcome. Though it’s mostly a dog wash, any non-biting pet that needs scrubbing is welcome. Even people without a dog who wants to play with the animals at the wash are welcome, Wennerstrom said. \nBesides helping the animal shelter, the wash will also save people money, as grooming can cost between $20 for a medium dog and $80 for a large dog, said Deborah Strickland, the other co-president and co-founder of Revitalizing Animal Well-Being. \nThe idea began as a joke when Wennerstrom and Strickland were talking about how bad their dogs smell. Strickland said she thought the fundraiser would be funny because it would be a dog wash instead of a car wash, the more traditional fundraiser. \nWennerstrom said she hopes the wash will bring more attention to the group, whose goal is to give “animal activism a sexy new makeover.”\nAccording to the group’s mission statement, Revitalizing Animal Well-being wants to give animals the love they need while changing people’s opinions about animal advocacy as well as the approach. \nThe Dirty, Dirty Dog Wash will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday in Dunn Meadow.