Pooches and their people are bound to have a dog-gone good time at Doggy Fun Day.
The 18th annual Doggy Fun Day is taking place on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Queen’s Park.
“We want people to come out with their dogs, or if they are dog lovers and don’t have dogs or just want to see what it’s all about, they are welcome to come out,” said Cheryl Rogers, one of the event’s organizers. “What we are trying to do is promote and strengthen the bond between animals and their people, specifically dogs because it’s Doggy Fun Day, and increase the sociability of the dogs.”
Doggy Fun Day is put on by VEATA (Volunteer Education and Assistance Team for Animals), an animal welfare charity that educates the public on the humane treatment of animals, responsible pet ownership, disaster preparedness and other topics. It also provides assistance to needy pet owners and provides temporary care and shelter to animals during emergencies or disasters.
“It’s a free event, but we do have raffles and 50/50 draws to try and raise money for VEATA,” Rogers said.
Doggy Fun Day features a variety of games for dogs and people, including a dog and owner look-alike contest, pet tricks, an egg and spoon race (participants carry and egg and spoon and one hand and a dog and leash in the other), races, Bobbing for Wieners and the Super Duper Pooper Scooper contest.
“We are definitely having the always-popular Bobbing for Wieners - without Bobbing for Wieners it’s just not Doggy Fun Day,” Rogers laughed. “For the kids, we are having our Super Duper Pooper Scooper race. No real poop involved. We have fake poop. We don’t want it to look real because we don’t want them accidentally picking something up. Before we start Doggy Fun day, we walk around and make sure there are no surprises in the grass.”
Along with contests for dogs and their owners, Doggy Fun Day will feature about 25 booths, vendors and charities, a dog wash (by donation) and entertainment including a dog drill team, musical freestyle and a K9 Nosework demonstration (in which dogs hunt for hidden items using their sense of smell.)
