To think having dogs in Saltdean lido is utterly disgusting?

I went last year with my dog, it was such a lovely atmosphere and fun! Nobody was swimming (as in laps of front crawl) just standing in the water or sitting on the steps in the shallows to keep an eye on their dog so I don’t think any need for germ paranoia.

They raise lots of money and it’s then drained and cleaned afterwards ready for the new human season.

If you read more of the website, you’ll see that there are loads of other things going on, both in the pool and in the buildings.

The dog swimming is a short special before the pool closure for cleaning, then the winter (human) swimming season begins.

Outside the specified dog dates, all dogs (except assistance dogs) are not permitted anywhere on the site

So why aren't they doing any of this then?

Proving my point

It's a special session at the end of the season before they drain and close. Outs does it too though only one day in late October/early November normally

If what you say is correct then it all seems fine to me.

I am very sceptical that they ever drain the pool. It’s a lot of water. Most pools are NEVER drained. It’s just to expensive/slow/wasteful. Instead they get a chemical shock and a bit of a breather over winter. Which I do find a little gross, but I would think that they have researched the health and safety aspects and are confident that what they are doing is safe, even if it gives some of us the ick.

Having grown up in the tropics and subtropics with pools and dogs, the main problem is dog hair in the pump.

They seem to be quite popular and as others have said they don’t run normal sessions in between. I think it was a strange decision to spend millions on a pool that’s only open for a few months of the year, at least they can make a bit more money before it closes for 6+ months

My newfoundland puppy will love this next year!

@ticktickticktickBOOM because it would be fully shut otherwise. Presumably the people running made those decisions using actual financial data and previous experience of what's viable or not to decide opening times. You know, a bit more than "well it's still warm in September ". That's how they decided when to end the season. Now they're simply adding a few weekends when they'd be shut anyway to make some extra money. Which again, would only happen if it was financially viable and offsets the costs of being open those extra few weekends.

Rather than relying on a random hope that Suzie and her family might decide to finally turn up on September 19.

Of course it’s disgusting. Dog owners lack perspective, think their pets are sacred and businesses are cashing in.

My local pool does this on the last day of the season before it's drained for the winter. I love it.

I think it’s a brilliant way of getting extra revenue to the Lido in the autumn.

It wouldn’t be done if normal outdoors swimming was still profitable after mid-September

It’s an end of season one off… not every weekend!!!!

Don’t be so condescending, I read the entire Dogtember webpage and the swim section of the lido webpage before any of my comments.

I think it is disgusting and a health risk to any dog owners swimming with the dogs. I think the lido could raise money in a way that keeps the pools reserved for humans only- as a pp suggested half price tickets for off season swimming. Perhaps swim lessons for school age kids. Or open to kayaking clubs to do lessons in water safety, rolling, and rescue as well. Or lifeguard training classes. So much can be done in the off season other than catering to dogs who already have an entire beach to use.

It’s arrogant to assume those who think it’s awful “can’t read” or are unaware of the details.

I don't see a problem with this done the way it is described. Our local one also does dog swims for a couple of weekends after the end of human season. They then close for the winter, drain and clean etc. It's hugely popular, raises more money than even the most popular summer human months and all that money goes towards keeping the lido open for everyone else. At ours, it isn't usually owners swimming with the dogs, more just dressed for cold water. The last few human weekends tend to see so few swimmers it's barely worth opening.

I would absolutely love this, wish there was somewhere near me where I could do this

YES!

Same here.

Ooh, hang on-doesn't this take place after the pool has closed for the season?🙄

PSA for Posters Who Can't Read

As multiple posts have said, the dog swims happen AFTER THE POOL IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.

It's then DRAINED and CLEANED before next season.

SAVVY?***

😂

Ffs dogs are everywhere - it's too much

Probably chosen September as kids go back to school, and weekends are then taken up with other extra curriculum activities and homework, which were not there during the school holidays.

🙄

fill your boots

I'd rather share the pool with dogs than toddlers/small children tbh.

Yes this has been said many times now on this thread. We get it.

What I don't get is why the pool is specially reserved for dogs in September when they could be making money out of the thousands of people that are only just discovering the lido is open?

September is pretty warm.

I think they need to change this dog promotion - push it back to October when it's colder. Info about the lido is getting out and locals want to visit once the summer tourist season is over. Now we hear it is going to be reserved for DOGS!

The pool should be for humans to enjoy in September.