Alexander Graham Bell is credited with the quote, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

And indeed, I have been looking so mournfully at the closure of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation pools for humans, that I forgot September also brings a new beginning: the annual tradition of the Doggie Day Swim.

Once each year, the hounds get the chance to dip in the water for “one day of swimming and aquatics games,” as DPR puts it. In 2019, the 11th consecutive year, that glorious day is this Saturday, September 7, at three public pools starting at noon, rain or shine:

• Upshur Main & Kiddie Pool (4300 Arkansas Ave. NW) — 75-dog capacity
• Francis Pool (25th & N St. NW) — 150-dog capacity
• Randall Pool (South Capitol and I Sts. SW) — 75-dog capacity

The whole shebang is free, but there are rules, of course. There are always rules. First of all, each dog needs a valid D.C. dog license. Pooches must also be current on vaccinations and neutered or spayed (this is not a day for making future puppies). The humans accompanying the dogs need to be at least 16 years old, and must keep their hounds on a leash while on land.

Also, this is a day for the dogs, please, so no humans allowed in the pool. (Two-legged folks can certainly enjoy from the sidelines, though.)