Bensenville park district adds puppy yoga with rescue benefit on July 11

Bensenville Park District is putting a small, tightly managed puppy yoga session on the Wood Street Fitness calendar for Saturday, July 11, pairing a 45-minute all-levels flow with 15 minutes of puppy cuddle time at Deer Grove Leisure Center, 1000 W. Wood St. The setup looks built for newcomers and social dogs alike: during the puppy portion, the puppies will roam freely among the mats, giving the class a community feel that is less boutique and more approachable.

The session runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and is open to participants ages 14 and older. Ages 10 to 13 can attend only with a paid adult guardian, and the park district is keeping the room intentionally small, with capacity limited to 15 to 30 people so the experience stays intimate rather than crowded.

Registration is required in advance, with admission set at $12 or $10 for in-district patrons. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Chicago Canine Rescue, adding an animal-welfare piece to a class that already blends exercise, mindfulness and close-up puppy time.

Recreation Supervisor Ty Beshiri has pointed to that mix of movement and interaction as the appeal, framing the class as a chance for people to relax, laugh, connect and still get in a good workout. For first-timers, the structure matters: the 45-minute yoga flow gives the class a clear beginning and middle, then the 15-minute cuddle segment opens the mats to more playful, social energy without turning the whole hour into chaos.

That balance is what makes the park-district version stand out. With a capped headcount, a defined split between yoga and puppy time, and a rescue benefit built into the fee, the Deer Grove Leisure Center session looks designed for people who want the feel-good side of puppy yoga without the looseness that can make bigger, shinier offerings harder to manage.