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Shared by Sandie Ingersoll, as Guest Blogger.

Bark in the Park returns to Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park, Saturday, September 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy a day at the park hiking and playing doggy games with your four-legged family members. Area shelters and rescue agencies will be on hand with animals eligible for adoption. A K-9 Unit demonstration will be performed by DWR Sgt. Patrillo and his K-9 Bailey.

DWR Sgt. Jim Patrillo and K9 Officer Bailey.

Bailey is a four-year-old Labrador retriever working as a Natural Resources K-9 officer who was chosen over dozens of other dogs because of her extremely high play drive and energy level.

Bailey is willing to track a person for miles and miles through woods, fields, buildings and even in vehicles.

Bailey and Sgt. Patrillo graduated from the Indiana K-9 Natural Resources Protection Program in May of 2018 after successfully completing 400 hours in training.

Bailey has located numerous lost or missing persons as well as fleeing suspects during her career at DWR. Her primary roles utilize her sense of smell to assist in human tracking, wildlife detection, evidence recovery, as well as educational programs and demonstrations like Bark in the Park.

DWR Sgt. Jim Patrillo and K9 Officer Bailey.

Learn more about Bailey, and maybe find a forever dog of your own at Bark at the Park on September 18.

Per Virginia State Parks policy, all dogs must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet in length and under the control of their handlers at all times.

Hikers should dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes for walking on uneven terrain (a mixture of grassy areas, loose soil conditions and hard, compacted dirt sections). Refillable water bottles are also recommended.   

This is a free, family-friendly program. The event is weather-dependent and is subject to cancellation if conditions warrant. For questions, especially weather-related inquiries, please call the visitor center at 804-561-7510.