Dogs rarely go still with awe, but if anything can inspire it in them, it’s elephants and tortoises.
At the Dallas Zoo’s first Dog Days event, hundreds of pups wandered the grounds with their owners. Whether sniffing their way through the Wilds of Africa or watching the flamingos, quiet curiosity backed their sizable smiles. But even the most well-mannered canines couldn’t help but turn their heads for a squirrel.
Although new to Dallas, event planners spoke with other dog day-hosting zoos across the country to get the ins and outs of a good paw-rty, including the San Antonio Zoo and the Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania. Kari Streiber, vice president of marketing and communications, said she hopes to grow Dog Days into a large, recurring event but started small with a trial staff day and capped public access Friday.
“[We wanted to] make sure we can make changes on the fly very quickly — leaving enough space, do we need to move any barriers back — just to make sure our animals stay comfortable and we’re making the dogs who are here visiting comfortable,” Streiber said.
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The zoo animals displayed expected reactions, with some small primates climbing high up in their habitat to get a birds-eye view of the new furry guests, Streiber said.
A miniature Australian shepherd named Potato preferred the Galapagos tortoises, according to his parents, Coraline and Samuel Garcia. He sat still with his friends and watched them chew in slow motion.
Britney Wynn interacts with her German Shepherd, Soleil, on her birthday, as Thurber (left), pet dog of Madison Welbore looks, during the first ever dog day, on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 at Dallas Zoo.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
The Garcias said they drove from The Colony with their friend who works in animal control and who told them about the event. They wanted to expose Potato to a variety of people since he suffers from anxiety as a former shelter dog. He wore a dinosaur rain jacket, mostly for fun, but also in case the zoo offered a water feature to play in.
Potato wasn’t the only dog dressed to impress. One German shepherd rocked a tutu and a birthday badge, an Italian greyhound sported a pink-and-white striped shirt, and countless dogs wore patterned bandanas.
A three-year-old corgi named Kiwi walked in wearing a vest, but her mom, Dayana Ambriz, decided the February heat kept her warm enough. Given Kiwi’s little legs, Ambriz held her up to see most exhibits, including her favorite, the elephants. Ambriz said she saw an ad for Dog Days on social media and signed up quickly since she takes Kiwi out every chance she gets.
Kiwi waits with other viewers while watching animals during the first ever dog day, on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 at Dallas Zoo.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Streiber said the event gives their animals new experiences but is also excellent enrichment for dogs. After the staff trial, several employees reported their dogs had a blast and fell fast asleep on the way home from the mental stimulation of new sights and smells.
One of the event’s goals was to make the zoo enjoyable for new audiences, Streiber said. They get a lot of young children but wanted to expand the definition of what it means to be family-friendly.
“There are also folks who may not have kids and don’t feel as comfortable coming to the zoo by themselves, so it’s a great opportunity to bring ‘man’s best friend’ with you,” she said.
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