Putting their best foot forward for Pets in the Park
July 20th, 2008 Posted in Pet GamesHowever, that’s exactly what Dexter, a four-and-a-half-month-old boxer, did at the Animal Rescue League’s Pets in the Park 2008 fundraiser held at Rockwood Park on Sunday.
He was the only dog dressed in a green recyclable shopping bag. The reason owner Andrew MacDonald dressed Dexter up was to enter the dog costume parade.
The idea for the parade was to dress your animal up as your favourite green thing. Dexter took home top prize in the event despite destroying his costume.
“It’s really hard to get him in it because he struggles quite a bit,” MacDonald said as Dexter gnawed at the bag. “The bag is pretty mangled so we’ll have to recycle it after this.”
The parade was just one of the many events taking place over the afternoon. Other activities included an agility course, an obstacle course for dogs, as well as a dunk tank, barbecue and an obedience course, among others.
Saint John Animal Rescue League executive director Janet Foster said the event is important as it raises funds to keep the shelter going.
“All of the money raised today goes towards the care of the animals,” Foster said. “Because we’re a non-profit, we don’t receive any funding.”
She said the shelter at the rescue league is full and has been turning people away in recent days.
The two main events of the day were the dog jog and Pet Idol. People had been collecting pledges in the community for a jog around the lake with their pet. Foster said the lake jog is a long one and a smaller trek had been set up for others. One dog on the short walk was Lucky, a recently adopted three-legged canine from the shelter.
As for Pet Idol a competition where animals show off their best tricks event organizer Cristi Wheaton said Sunday’s performances are just a warmup for the Aug. 10 event on the boardwalk. Some of the acts on display included a dancing dog duo and another canine showing off a trick called ‘Corn on the Cat.’
Tags: agility, animal rescue, animals, dogs, Pet, pets