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PITTSBURG —
Every dog has his day, and around 45 of them had a great day Saturday during the first Southeast Kansas Humane Society Bark in the Park.
“We’ve had a really good turnout,” said Leslie Harris, Humane Society public relations director. “Everybody’s really excited and they’ve been very complimentary about the event.”
A wide variety of activities were available for dogs and their human companions, starting with a half-mile walk and progressing to puppy paw art, dog biscuit decorating, a doggie acupressure demonstration by Lorraine Achey, photo opportunities in a Pittsburg Fire Department vehicle, cooling dips in kiddie wading pools and, of course, getting to know other dogs.
That was one of the main reasons why Ashleigh Horton brought her 15-week-old blue heeler puppy.
“We wanted to get him used to socializing with other dogs and people,” she said. “All the activities are a good reason as well.”
Sissy, an English bull terrier, chose the wading pool as her favorite activity.
“We cut across the walk a little and came back to the pool,” said Rene Yount. “This breed doesn’t tolerate heat well.”
She said she thought the Bark in the Park was a wonderful idea.
“We take Sissy on vacations to bigger cities with dog parks and events geared toward dogs, so we were very glad the Humane Society decided to do this,” Yount said.
If Cheryl Mayo had her way, there would be a dog park in Pittsburg.
“We need to have a place where we can take their leashes off and let them just run and be dogs,” she said.
Mayo has two dogs, Cassidy Hop and Ruby Tuesday, but left Cassidy home because she felt the noise and turmoil of the event might be distressing to her.
“Ruby likes getting out and meeting other dogs, so I thought this would be a good experience for her,” Mayo said.
However, she wasn’t sure if Ruby would enjoy having paint applied to her paws for the puppy paw art project.
Susan Badart also brought Mattie to the park for a social experience.
“It’s good for dogs to be out, good for them to play together with other dogs and learn new things,” she said. “This is also a good idea to raise money for the Humane Society, and I hope they do it again.”
Some of the dogs attending, including Charlie Bucket, were formerly cared for at the SEK Humane Society animal shelter.
Every dog has his day, and around 45 of them had a great day Saturday during the first Southeast Kansas Humane Society Bark in the Park.
“We’ve had a really good turnout,” said Leslie Harris, Humane Society public relations director. “Everybody’s really excited and they’ve been very complimentary about the event.”
A wide variety of activities were available for dogs and their human companions, starting with a half-mile walk and progressing to puppy paw art, dog biscuit decorating, a doggie acupressure demonstration by Lorraine Achey, photo opportunities in a Pittsburg Fire Department vehicle, cooling dips in kiddie wading pools and, of course, getting to know other dogs.
That was one of the main reasons why Ashleigh Horton brought her 15-week-old blue heeler puppy.
“We wanted to get him used to socializing with other dogs and people,” she said. “All the activities are a good reason as well.”
Sissy, an English bull terrier, chose the wading pool as her favorite activity.
“We cut across the walk a little and came back to the pool,” said Rene Yount. “This breed doesn’t tolerate heat well.”
She said she thought the Bark in the Park was a wonderful idea.
“We take Sissy on vacations to bigger cities with dog parks and events geared toward dogs, so we were very glad the Humane Society decided to do this,” Yount said.
If Cheryl Mayo had her way, there would be a dog park in Pittsburg.
“We need to have a place where we can take their leashes off and let them just run and be dogs,” she said.
Mayo has two dogs, Cassidy Hop and Ruby Tuesday, but left Cassidy home because she felt the noise and turmoil of the event might be distressing to her.
“Ruby likes getting out and meeting other dogs, so I thought this would be a good experience for her,” Mayo said.
However, she wasn’t sure if Ruby would enjoy having paint applied to her paws for the puppy paw art project.
Susan Badart also brought Mattie to the park for a social experience.
“It’s good for dogs to be out, good for them to play together with other dogs and learn new things,” she said. “This is also a good idea to raise money for the Humane Society, and I hope they do it again.”
Some of the dogs attending, including Charlie Bucket, were formerly cared for at the SEK Humane Society animal shelter.
“My husband, Jeremy Wade, was a volunteer at the shelter and he said, ‘You have to meet this dog’,” said Jessica Criser. “We had no idea what breed he was and he was pancaking. Part of Jeremy’s job was to take the dogs for walks, and most of the walk he’d have to carry Charlie because he was pancaking.”
Pancaking, also called belly crouching, is a behavior seen in small dogs who are anxious and submissive. The animal flattens itself to the ground, then may creep forward on its elbows and haunches.
“We think Charlie must have come from a puppy mill and not gotten any attention or socialization,” Criser said. “He was a mess.”
He was also, she found, a purebred English toy spaniel, a rare breed, and probably would have carried a price tag of at least $1,000.
Charlie has blossomed under their love and care and appeared to be having a good time in the park.
“He is perfect for us,” Criser said. “He’s perfectly happy to sit on your lap, or perfectly happy not to sit on your lap. We named him Charlie Bucket, after the boy in ‘Willy Wonka’ who was looking for a gold ticket to the candy factory. We realized that Charlie really did get the gold ticket.”
Funds raised through Bark in the Park will benefit other homeless pets at the SEK Humane Society animal shelter who haven’t yet found their gold ticket to a loving home. Leslie Harris said the society hopes to make this an annual event.
