The Rita B. Huff Adoption Center will be hosting Dog Days of Summer on Sept. 15 at the Huntsville State Park from 8 a.m. to noon. The come-and-go event will consist of a hike with dogs and is open to everyone. The event is a collaboration with the Huntsville State Park, and attendees should be prepared to pay the park’s $5 entrance fee to participate in the event. Director of the Rita B. Huff Adoption Center, Morgan Jernigan-Payne, talked more about what motivated the adoption center to plan this event. “The [Huntsville State Park] contacted us, and said, ‘We want to do something fun and incorporate the dogs’,” Jernigan-Payne said. “We’ve done one in the past, and it was really successful. We actually didn’t have enough dogs for as many people that showed up, so it was a really great turnout.” Though you don’t have to be a dog owner to attend Dog Days of Summer, Rita B. Huff does encourage those who are to bring their own dogs. Donations for the adoption center, such as harnesses and leashes are also welcome. Dog adoptions are also available for attendees hoping to take home a four-legged friend. Jernigan-Payne shared her thoughts on adopting from a shelter like Rita B. Huff. “I think it’s so much more rewarding to rescue an animal,” Jernigan-Payne said. “A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I want a pure bred dog.’ We have pure bred dogs that come in… it’s not a super rare thing. You can find any type of dog that you’re looking for in a shelter. It does happen, and I think it’s just a rewarding experience to know that you’ve saved this dog.” For more information about Dog Days of Summer, visit the Huntsville State Park Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleSP/, or call the Rita B. Huff Adoption Center at (936) 295-4666.