Saturday
May 18, 2024 
Editor's note: With the forecast for this weekend, Doylestown Health will be postponing the Superhero Dog Festival that was rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21. The event will now be rescheduled for September 2024.
Doylestown Health will host a Superhero Dog Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, on the grounds of the hospital.
The community event, on the grounds of Doylestown Hospital, 595 W. State St., Doylestown, celebrates dog/human partnerships and their contributions to happiness and health.
The festival will be postponed to Oct. 21 in the event of rain.
The event, part of the hospital’s Centennial Celebration marking 100 years of care, will feature the therapy dogs of Doylestown Health, community and hospital exhibitors, demonstrations, family activities, entertainment, and presentations throughout the day. It will showcase the talent and unique abilities of service, therapy, and competition dogs.
“While we wish we could, for safety reasons, we cannot allow dogs from the public to be brought into the event,” the hospital said. “However, attendees will leave with valuable insights to bring home to their pet (as a surprise!) to increase performance, happiness, and health.”
The festival is a free event; donations for the Bucks County SPCA and/or the New Britain Food Pantry are requested. Wish lists and more information are at doylestownhealth.org/SuperheroDogsFestival2023.
Performers and speakers include Doylestown Health therapy dogs and handlers, The Central Bucks Regional Police Department K-9 unit, Canine Emergency Search and Rescue 345 (a special operations division of the Volunteer Medial Service Corps of Lansdale), Roxy Therapy Dogs, Comfort Caring Canines, the Delaware Valley Dalmatian Club, and others. Dog lovers can participate in Puppy Yoga with Wags Rescue pups and a YMCA human/canine fitness pro.
See demonstrations of parkour, frisbee dogs, agility and conformation, as well as informative presentations on how dogs heal, how to become a therapy dog, and more. There’s even a parade for humans dressed as dogs or superheroes.
Doylestown Health’s Animal Assisted Activity program was introduced in the 1980s and continues to deliver smiles, stress relief, and companionship to patients, families and the Doylestown Health healthcare team.
The registered therapy dog handlers who share their time, talent, and best friends are Doylestown Health volunteers. Doylestown Health’s therapy dog team includes more than 20 registered therapy dogs, ranging from 12-pound Ernie Johnson – a Yorkie mix rescued in Texas, to 150+ pound Cru – a Leonberger show dog.
Find event information at: https://events.doylestownhealth.org/event/superhero_dogs_oct_14_2023.
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