Doggy Day brings Christmas spirit to city's best friend

A special day for Hamilton dogs and their owners is being planned as part of Hamilton Christmas City.
Doggy Day is on Saturday 5 December from 9am to midday in Garden Place, which will be known as Christmas Place during December.

Hamilton dog owners can bring their canine friends to Christmas Place for a photo with Santa, observe agility demonstrations and receive information from the Council’s animal education team.

Mayor Julie Hardaker says Doggy Day is a way to extend the Christmas festivities out to all members of the family.

“Christmas is a time to be spent with family, and dogs are a special part of many Hamilton families, including my own. Getting out in Christmas Place, engaging in the festivities and giving your pooch an opportunity to socialise with other dogs will be a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit.”

The event will raise funds for SPCA Waikato through a $5 fee for the Santa photos. Dog owners can also bring along dog food to donate to the SPCA.

Dogs attending the event should be sociable with new dogs and people and must be kept on a leash at all times. 

There will be special bins and plastic bags available on the day for cleaning up after dogs.

Bookings for pictures of dogs with Santa can be made on the Christmas City website (hamiltonchristmascity.co.nz). All photos will be printed onsite and put in a Doggy Day Christmas card.