September in Cincinnati is a beautiful time to get out and about with your dog. Get inspired to plan an outing to one of these dog-friendly events.
Sept 4: Graeter’s Dog’s Night Out
Sept 13: Pugfair
Sept 18: Cincinnati Reds Bark in the Park
Sept 19: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati Running of the Wieners
Check out below for more information and links to these four great events.
Cincinnati Dog-Friendly Event:
Graeter’s Dog’s Night Out
In the final summer event of the year, Graeter’s welcomes dogs outside specific locations for a free frozen pup treat. Find locations in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and more.
This Wild West-themed fundraiser features a costume contest and parade at Factory 52. The event is free, with a $5 entry fee for the contest. All proceeds benefit Bluegrass Pug Rescue. All dogs are welcome, not just pugs!
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 11AM-4PM
Location: Factory 52, 2710 Park Ave., Norwood, OH 45209
Cincinnati Dog-Friendly Event:
Cincinnati Reds Bark in the Park
SPCA sponsors a few Bark in the Park games each baseball season. Bring your pet to Great American Ballpark to enjoy the game, along with dog-themed activities.
Cincinnati Dog-Friendly Event:
Zinzinnati Oktoberfest Running of the Wieners
If you have a dachshund or mix, here’s a must-do activity! Up to 100 dogs are dressed in hot dog costumes and race to victory. Attendance is free for spectators, so enjoy the show!
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 12PM
Location: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati River Stage, Yeatman’s Cove Park
“Bring the whole family for a fall tradition that is much more than a dog walk! There’s nothing like a beautiful crisp October morning, with pups, pumpkins, free food, vendors, live music, and contests! And, of course, our “pup-ular” Costume Contest is back again this year – we love seeing your creativity, so go wild! See you on the trail!”
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 10AM
Location: Simmonds Family Dog Park, 8715 Hamilton Cleves Pike Rd., Cleves, OH 45002
With National Dog Day on August 26 and INTERnational Cat Day on August 8, this month really shows how much people love their pets. And for good reasons! Along with all the love, joy and companionship our pets bring, research shows:
Pets help human mental health
Pets help human physical health
Pets are all-around good for us! Check out these amazing facts.
Pets and People: Mental Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes “The Power of Pets.” Various research shows that spending time with your pet decreases cortisol levels (the stress-inducing hormone). At the same time, interacting with your pet is shown to elevate oxytocin, serotonin, prolactin and dopamine (hormones involved in enhancing moods and feelings of happiness).
Here’s how these hormone changes affect mental health:
Reduce stress
Reduce loneliness
Help with anxiety and depression
Increase feelings of social support
Boost moods
Improves a person’s sense of purpose
Pets and People: Physical Health
From our infancy to our old age, pets can help improve our physical health, too. Here are just a few things research has uncovered:
Time with a pet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which is good for your heart
Caring for a pet requires increased physical activity, especially if you’re walking a dog a couple times per day
Some research shows that a child’s immune system can be improved by having a pet in infancy.
More research shows a child is 33% less likely to develop allergies when having a pet in the home
And Let’s Not Forget Service Animals
Service animals certainly improve the health and abilities of many humans. August also recognizes International Assistance Dog Week from the 2nd-8th.
Our article, “See Service Dogs in Action,” shows videos of service dogs helping people struggling with blindness, diabetes and autism.
And, Of Course, Pets Need Us, Too
Humans domesticated dogs up to 40,000 years ago. Cats domesticated themselves up to 12,000 years ago (of course they did). Domesticated animals have lost their ability to care for themselves in the wild and depend on humans. And what a privilege this responsibility is!
The most important way we help pets is to provide happy, healthy homes to the animals we’ve brought into our families. Another way is to support animals in shelters through volunteering, fostering or donation. Check out our resource, “3 Ways to Help Animals in Need” for more details.
Service Dogs Open a New World of Possibilities for Students and Graduates of The Seeing Eye
For over 90 years, The Seeing Eye has trained guide dogs and advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. The oldest guide dog school in the world celebrates its anniversary January 29. Here’s some history of this important organization:
“When The Seeing Eye was founded in 1929, people who are blind were treated much differently than they are today,” said Seeing Eye President & CEO Jim Kutsch. “When Dorothy Harrison Eustis trained Buddy, the first Seeing Eye dog, she was ahead of her time. She told our co-founder Morris Frank that Buddy was not going to be much help to him if businesses wouldn’t allow him to enter with his dog. As a result, Morris Frank and Buddy became traveling spokespeople for the guide dog movement.”
Today, The Seeing Eye breeds, raises and trains Seeing Eye dogs, along with instructing people in the proper use, handling and care of them. The organization states that more than 17,700 partnerships have been made between people and Seeing Eye dogs. Today, about 1,500 Seeing Eye dogs are on active duty in the US and Canada.
Jamie and Jessica: Walking the Halls of High School Together
Jessica has been blind since birth, and her Seeing Eye dog Jamie has been with her two years.
How to Help The Seeing Eye, Seeing Eye Dogs and Students
The fee to a blind person for a Seeing Eye dog has remained unchanged since 1934– up to $150, which includes:
The Seeing Eye dog
The dog’s equipment
The student’s 18-25 day instruction at the school, along with room and board
Round-trip transportation to and from the school
Lifetime follow-up services
Since The Seeing Eye receives no government funding, it relies on private donations. Click here to donate to The Seeing Eye and help them in their important mission.
It’s the merriest time of year, and we are blessed to spend it with our canine friends! See how some of these #dogsofinstagram are getting decked out for the holidays.
Deaf dogs can make wonderful, loving pets– just like any dog! All they need is a little understanding. Here are 5 myths about deafness in dogs that just aren’t true:
“Dogs can simply be born deaf, in one or both ears. Typical breeds that are genetically susceptible to deafness include Dalmatians, Cocker Spaniels, Australian cattle dogs, English Setters, and Boston Terriers. Pigmentation can play a role in congenital deafness, as well. White-coated dogs and those with two different colored eyes are more prone.
“They aren’t alone, though. Any animal born with the ability to hear can lose it as a result of traumatic injury, loud noises, infection, drug toxicity, tumors, and, of course, old age.”
How to Train a Deaf Dog
The AKC has good tips for training a dog with deafness and that it’s not much different from training a dog that can hear.
“Positive reward-based training is essential when working with a deaf dog. To start training your dog, being able to get their attention is important. You can get their attention with either a wave in front of their face, thumping your fist on the floor to create a vibration, or by touching them gently (always in the same location).
“Collars that produce a light vibration can also be used (only vibration—never a shock collar). Use caution when using light (such as a laser pointer) to get their attention, as some dogs develop Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder behaviors with lights and shadows.
“Since your dog cannot hear a click or a marker word, teaching them a signal that means they did something good is crucial. Many trainers will use thumbs up to signal this. You can condition your dog to this by giving the signal and rewarding with a treat. Soon your dog will understand that thumbs up means treat!”
Mostly, though, a deaf dog wants as much love and attention as any other dog. If your dog becomes deaf, or you adopt a deaf dog, their goals are the same: to be your fur-ever companion.
All dog lovers find their pooches magnetic– but did you know that dogs are sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field? A study shows that dogs practice magnetic alignment– “spontaneous alignment of the body with respect to the magnetic field lines.”
In fact, science reveals that dogs like to poop (and urinate) along the North-South axis of the globe. As quoted by PBS:
“It is still enigmatic why the dogs do align at all, whether they do it “consciously” (i.e., whether the magnetic field is sensorial perceived (the dogs “see”, “hear” or “smell” the compass direction or perceive it as a haptic stimulus) or whether its reception is controlled on the vegetative level (they “feel better/more comfortable or worse/less comfortable” in a certain direction).”
The study took place over two years and included 70 dogs and 37 breeds– 1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations later, researchers confidently claim the conclusion.
While this may solve one mystery about our canine friends– doesn’t it create several more questions?
Are you hoping to introduce a new dog to your family soon? Here are 5 great reasons to find it in your heart to open up to adopting a dog from a shelter:
Adopting helps end pet homelessness
Shelter pets have been behavior-tested
All shelter pets have been spayed or neutered
Shelters want to find loving homes for loving pets
Shelters have the largest selection of pets around!
Here are two local no-kill shelters you might consider in your search.
About Animal Friends Humane Society
AFHS was established in 1952 and is the only open-admission shelter in Butler County. In 2009, we relocated and now occupy a 22,500 sq. foot facility with top-notch amenities for our shelter population in Hamilton. On a typical day, Animal Friends Humane Society houses between 200 and 300 dogs and cats in our facility. We are Butler County’s largest and oldest 501(c)3 non-profit animal shelter. Visit us at:
Hours:
Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat, Sun 11 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed, Thur 1 PM – 7 PM
Closed Major Holidays
About Animal Adoption Foundation
The Animal Adoption Foundation is a non-profit no-kill shelter for dogs and cats that have been abused or abandoned. AAF provides a safe and humane environment for dogs and cats that are waiting to be adopted. Our caring volunteers and generous, loving donors enable us to provide a safe and happy haven for our special friends. The shelter currently houses approximately 85 cats and dogs. Visit us at:
Animal Friends Humane Society will be there will their Petmobile doing dog adoptions! Pawsitively Good Gear will be selling fun pet related products as well!
This is a dog friendly, family event and will include animal agility, police K9 unit and training demonstrations, and vendors to satisfy all walks of life… two legged and four legged alike! Guests will have the opportunity to teach their dogs to swim, cross the cross walk, and much more! We will also have some wonderful food vendors on site, to keep everyone refreshed, while spending some extra time meeting adoptable animals from PAWS and other rescues and shelters as well!
Our popular dog-loving games are back! Reserve your seats today for Bark in the Park presented by Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®, Milk-Bone® and Kroger to enjoy the excitement of Reds baseball alongside your pet at Great American Ball Park.
The struggle is real – your adult dogs’ coat has changed and so has their behavior! There are many reasons your dog keeps getting tangles and mats that you cant seem to get ahead of – we can help you understand what the cuase is and how to fix it.
If you want to avoid a full shave down or spending $$$ on de-matting fees, this class if you you!
•Classes are for adult dogs 9 months and older
•non-aggressive Dogs welcome but not required, this class is for the parents!
On Sunday, April 7, 2019 from 11AM – 4PM, ride the SkyStar Wheel with your dog at the attraction’s Bark at the Wheel Adoption Event.
Dogs ride free, and take home a cool SkyStar dog tag. On-site adoptions will be available through Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society. More activities include:
U-Lucky DAWG hot dog food truck
Pop-up dog park
On-site doggie spa services
Demos from a certified dog trainer
And more!
The SkyStar Observation Wheel is the Bank’s newest temporary attraction. As America’s largest portable ferris wheel, enjoy spectacular city views with your furry friend!
A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit our favorite My Furry Valentine and the Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society.
All dog lovers find their pooches magnetic– but did you know that dogs are sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field? A 
Are you hoping to introduce a new dog to your family soon? Here are 5 great reasons to find it in your heart to open up to adopting a dog from a shelter:
