Dog paddling pups and their owners helped raise more than $3,000 for the Severna Park Community Center on Friday night.

Marion Wear, assistant executive director of the Severna Park Community Center, said the Doggie Swim-A-Thon brought in $3,528, which will be used to replace the boilers for the center’s two indoor pools.

“We had 24 dogs participate, which was our max,” Wear said. “We were surprised that we hit that, but we had people come in and register on the day of. It was a lot of fun.”

For $50, dog owners could register their dogs to swim in the pool, which had been neutralized earlier that day. The pool is going to be drained for repairs, and since they were emptying all the water, they decided to let local pups take a dip for a good cause.

Dr. Jessica Heard, a veterinarian at Severna Park Veterinary Hospital, was on-hand to make sure each dog was up-to-date on their shots and would be safe socializing with the other pups.

The event also brought in a large number of spectators.

“We had people coming and going all night,” Wear said. “I think we had at least 200 people come and watch. The bleachers were full of watchers all night, and people were having a great time.”

Wear said they currently have three boilers, which are used to heat the main pool and the therapy pool, and that they are all in need of repair.

She said overall the fundraiser was a success.

“I think people really had a wonderful time, because it was something new and different,” she said. “It seemed like people were happy.”

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