Get your fix of basset hounds with a walk at Willows this weekend.
The final in the series of Basset Hound Walks at the Oak Bay beach is slated for Sunday, the last day the four-legged friends can roam untethered in the sand.
Eight-year-old Katie gets in about eight walks a day with owner Lydia Mills.
“She whines all the way from Fernwood to Oak Bay because she knows we’re going to the beach,” said Leigh Stempski. “I’m the auntie that spoils her.”
Stempski started a Facebook page three years ago to invite others along. The membership spans to Alberta, Washington State and beyond. Weekend walks gather groups of two to a dozen.
“We’re out here no matter what,” Stempski said, adding “other breeds are welcome.”
The walks are about the bassets, what they’re like, research, impressions. And often the walks are attended by someone seeking information ahead of adding a four-legged-friend to the family.
“The word gets out and you share stories,” Stempski said.
They walk at Willows Sunday, April 30 at 1 p.m.
Dogs are not permitted on the beach May 1 to Sept. 30.