F E AT U R E S TO R Y
MAKING A SPLASH
At WestRover Water Sports, soaring dogs dive and splash their way to better health.
PHOTOS BY RON BURKETT
By Jeana Durst Something really fun is happening in Westover. (Just take a look at these photos and try not to feel the excitement.) At WestRover Water Sports, dogs sail through the air at jaw-dropping heights in pursuit of a “dummy” before launching happily into the pool. They are participating in one of the fastest-growing sports competitions for dogs: dock diving. NADD, or North America Diving Dogs, awards national titles for diving dogs that achieve excellence in speed, distance, and height; the organization works in conjunction with the AKC to recognize titles. (However, dogs do not have to be registered with the AKC to participate and all breeds and mixed breeds are welcome to this sport.) WestRover Water Sports, owned and operated by Jennifer and her husband Dr. Jay Crisman, DVM, is Alabama’s first and currently only permanent NADD regulation dock diving facility. Open since June of 2018, the Westover facility has already hosted four NADD events and is prepping for a Wild West Themed Southern Round Up
Dock Diving event this May. (And yes, that means dogs dressed as outlaws and saloon patrons.) So as you can imagine, it’s a good time for pets and handlers alike, but the competition is also serious sport, and the health benefits are innumerable. In addition to hosting NADD events, the Crismans, who also own and operate 280 Animal Medical Center, opened the water sports facility with the purpose of keeping pets happy and healthy. They offer swimming and dock diving lessons, water safety lessons, and even water therapy. (And the saltwater system in the pool is safe as well as good for a dog’s skin and coat.) The facility is on the same grounds as 280 Animal Medical Center, which also boasts a regulation-sized agility field. “When we walk out back during a break or after work and hear barking, splashing, and laughter from the pool and agility field, it warms our hearts and reminds us why we do what we do as vets,” Jay says. Jennifer got the idea for the pool after seeing a mobile dock diving unit at an agility event in Columbiana but she had already been looking for an outlet for exercising her dog who had suffered a spinal cord injury. The one to call if you are interested in learning
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