The Dartmouth YMCA put its outdoor pool to use one last time this summer with a four-legged affair.

Held on Sept. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m., Puppy Splash was essentially a pool party for pooches. Dogs weaved and sprinted between people’s legs, tearing into the pool and back again. Dogs of all breeds and sizes made it out to enjoy the sunny morning.

Back for its third summer, for $10 dog owners could bring their dogs for one last summer dip.

Organized by Program Director Samantha Fagundes, Puppy Splash proved to be one of her favorites.

“Gatekeeper, that’s my new position,” Fagundes jokes as she ushers in dogs without letting any others escape.

“We have a lot of dog walkers that come on the property so we were looking to engage them in a different way,” says Fagundes. “We knew that at the end of the season every year, we close the pool… we figured why not let the dogs swim?”

Puppy Splash is just one of many programs being rolled out under the newly revamped Paw Pals Club, which is unique to the Dartmouth YMCA. Though Paw Pals Club is not a new program, they’re working to relaunch it and popularize it more with the Dartmouth community.

“We are looking for a Paw Pals Volunteer Coordinator, so someone from the community who’s interested in getting the dog families involved in a fun way,” says Fagundes.

The club would consist of doggy playdates, special events throughout the year such as Puppy Splash, photos with Santa and access to their fields and dog toys, all included with a Paw Pals membership fee.

There are high hopes for the program. The Gleason Family YMCA in Wareham is also trying to institute its own Paw Pals club and Fagundes hopes to see the program’s popularity spread further.

The Puppy Splash proved to be a hit with dog owners and, of course, the dogs themselves. Canines ran free and unfettered through the gated area, launching themselves at full speed into the water to fetch stray tennis balls before wading back out to their owners to do it all again.

“[The dogs] are all really good. Their owners are all very responsible, keeping their dogs entertained by themselves,” says Fagundes.

Some of the more reserved dogs venture around the pool deck, sniffing around and making friends with others. Bonnie, a Pemboke Welsh Corgi, vacillates between rushing in excitement over to the pool and back again to her owner’s feet. She looks uncomfortable every time a curious dog comes over to sniff about her.

Others like Naddy, a 3-year-old Burmese Mountain Dog, are content to just laze about in the shade. Naddy is an enormous dog made even bigger by her thick, fluffy coat.

“You know, they started bring Naddy here when she was nine months old, and she was still this size,” Fagundes laughs.

Entrance fees from the Dartmouth YMCA’s third Puppy Splash are being put toward new fencing for the YMCA grounds. A great expense, they’re hoping that more puppy programs will raise the funds they need.

More Paw Pals activities are on the way. For more information, call the Dartmouth YMCA at 508 -993-3361 or visit ymcasouthcoast.org.