Showing posts with label Save a Dog Fund Raiser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Save a Dog Fund Raiser. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Paws in the Park 2018 Making New Friends


One of the fun things about Paws in the Park is the chance to meet lots of dogs big and small. We met large and small dogs and had a great time sniffing and being sniffed. Katy met a Collie who was her large twin. The Collie's owner called Katy her dog's mini me. They had the exact coloring and similar face shaping although Collies and Sheltie heads are slightly different. Mom didn't want to ruin the moment with a picture because that usually makes Katy get restless so we have no record of it, but it was rather cool. At the end of our day we met two rescue Shelties. We don't see too many Shelties at these events so it is always interesting when we meet some.

We got lots of attention, like movie star attention. Every where we went people wanted to touch us and give us treats. This became a problem later when Dog Dad wanted to get us through the agility course. Katy had fun with it, but me, hey why should I work with treats when all I have to do is look adorable and everyone is offering me free cookies? Why jump for it when you just have to sit and look cute?

Monday, May 7, 2018

Paws in the Park 2018


Despite the rain we had a wonderful time at Paws in the Park. I was so excited to go it was hard to wait patiently while Mom and Dad finished final preparation for us to go to the Wayside Inn.


I so badly wanted to bring this pad home. Like most Shelties, I'm not crazy about wet feet and there was just something so soothing on my paws about this mat. Sadly, the group really felt their need was greater than mine and Mom made me move on without getting them to give me the mat. Can you believe that?

Mom's still downloading pictures off her phone so you can expect to see more of our adventures through the week.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Paws in the Park 2018


Save a Dog in Sudbury is once again sponsoring one of our favorite yearly events, Paws in the Park at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts on Sunday May 6 from 10-3. Come join other walkers for a one mile walk around the beautiful area and then you can enjoy what we do, shop. There are always wonderful vendors and we love getting treats. It is a family friendly event so bring the kids along with us fur babies. Admission is $10 for adults. $5 for children, and free for kids under 5. More information available here.


Many local shelters and rescues also have booths at the event so come and learn more about the local rescue movement in the area. If your interested in adoption or volunteering, this is a great place to start meeting people involved in the local rescue community.


This was Bailey and I several years ago resting at the Grist Mill.


This was Annie last year. For some reason Mom and Dad can never understand we don't like drinking water out of any bowls but our own at home, despite how warm we are or how thirsty we might be we rarely drink away from home.


Dog Dad took Annie through the agility course they had. She did really well, but Mom had trouble getting pictures as it moved pretty quickly.

I know many of you who visit our aren't local, but I encourage all of us to share pet friendly events as it may encourage other areas to try someting new.


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Paws in the Park



We didn't get to write about Paws in the Park last week, but Mom wanted to make sure she posted this week. It rained the whole time we were there, but we finished the walk and we visited all the vendors while we were there. The weather wasn't great for pictures, but Mom had to get one of the Dachshund Kissing Booth fundraiser.

Katy reached another level of achievement at this walk. Each year she's shown more independence and boldness. The first year she went she spent the whole walk tucked into Bailey's side for protection. Each year she's gotten a bit bolder, heading out at the head of the pack sometimes at a run, but then about half way through she suddenly seems to realize she's not with Bailey and drops back to finish the walk at a more leisurely pace.

This year despite the cold wet weather she headed out with one of her favorite extended family members at a run. They paused at the halfway mark where we normally take pictures, but the weather was too wet and dreary for pictures so we encouraged them to keep going. Katy quickly took the lead and for the first time crossed the end line first without Bailey at her side. This is just a charity walk not designed to be a race or a run, but for Katy she's had this desire to get there first for some time. She and her handler have been in discussions for training and strategies for the longer Whisker Walk coming in June. It is a longer walk and she will have to see if she has the stamina to stay at the head of the pack for the entire walk.

Bailey struggled with the cold and we've decided Mom will sit out the longer walk with him as he's taking it slower these days. On the upside, Dog Dad located a massage therapist at the fair that might work for helping Bailey with some of his challenges. We also found a bone vendor and got some awesome bully sticks to take home.

For the first time ever we met a family of Shelties. The tiny puppy almost made Mom rethink her ideas on getting a dog past those puppy years. He was one giant fur ball and oh so cute. This family had a collection of Sheltie colors, which again you don't see often.

One thing I felt bad about was every where we went when someone had a Purebred dog they felt the need to whisper that they went to a breeder to get the dog, as if it was a crime. One of the woman,a breed foster Mom felt the need to explain she has things she wants to train her dogs to do and prefers to choose them as pups for specific characteristics and then raise them to ensure she gets the behaviors she wants. I told her she should feel no compulsion to apologize. She clearly isn't using a puppy mill to get the quality of dogs she wants. She gives back to the community by fostering and volunteering to stand in the freezing rain to help these animals find homes with people like myself that may be OK not starting with a puppy. She looked amazed. I suspect she doesn't hear that often.

I love these events because they are great ways to spend time meeting other dog owners. As I said I rarely meet other Sheltie owners except at events like these. It is always fun. At this event I tried to connect a breed rescue with a dog blogger that I thought would be a good match. The rescue representative sounded interested in linking to the site to provide more information to people who want to adopt large breed dogs. It is a great way to meet local shelters and rescues. I was disappointed that the local Collie rescue wasn't present this year as I was tempted to talk to them to see if they have any ideas about what to do with the Bailey and Katy situation. Sadly, they didn't have a table this year and I don't see them listed yet for the Whisker Walk either. However, despite the rain there were lots of people at the shelter/rescue tables making connections and that is how we can promote rescue.

That being said one of the disappointments I had was the anti-puppy mill group focused on ending puppy mills which is great, but the focus is still on shaming those who don't go to shelters. I just can't support that attitude. I am for ending puppy mills. However, the best way to end them is to teach people about all their responsible choices, not just your preferred choice. There is a disconnect between reality and dreams. In the dream world everyone would find their ideal dog at the local shelter and there would be no homeless dogs. In the real world people have lots of reasons why they want a purebred dog from a breeder. That is for another article on another day.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Paws in the Park Wayside Inn Sudbury, MA


Hi folks it is time for the annual Paws in the Park sponsored by Save a Dog this Sunday May 1 from 10-3. If you live in the Massachusetts area there is no better time to visit the beautiful historic Wayside Inn area in Sudbury and help raise money for animal shelters in the area.

Along with a beautiful short walk for you and the dogs there are also lots of fun activities for dogs, children, and adults. Our dogs love shopping there and the vendors always have something new to discover. Many local shelters have booths to raise awareness and funds for their local shelters as well.

Come out and join the fun on Sunday. For more information please visit their website here.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Monday Mischief: Paws in the Park


Hi Everyone, we are back. We got lost in all the snow. Mom and Dad traveled and then we just never got back to blogging. However, this weekend we attended Save a Dog's Paws in the Park at historic Wayside Inn and it seemed to be a great time to return to the world of blogging.

We had a wonderful time at the event. It was a bit warmer than normal for May. They had plenty of water stations. Bailey drank quite a bit. Katy was pretty stubborn about drinking outside the house bowls.

This year Paws had an agility try out and Bailey had fun participating in it, especially when he discovered tons of abandoned treats inside the tunnel. He made the tunnel roll when he turned around to pick up a few he'd missed. With her black coat, Katy was feeling a bit warm and decided to opt out.

We wanted so badly to participate in the musical hula hoops game, but we arrived just after the closed the entry for the game. We had fun watching as the players had to walk around the circle and sit in a hula hoop before the music stopped. The little dogs really had the edge slipping under the bigger dogs as the music stopped and edging them out of a spot in the circle.

We were pleased to find several other Shelties at the event. We don't often meet up with other Shelties.

Treats were flowing freely at all the vendors and we didn't hesitate to use our cuteness to get as much attention as possible.

Save a Dog is trying to purchase the building they are currently in and according to an article Mom read this morning, this was one of their most successful fundraisers ever. We wish them nothing but success as they continue trying to raise the funds they need to have a permanent home for their great work.

For those of you who live in the Massachusetts area and enjoy these events the Whisker Walk is coming up Sunday, June 7th at the Lancaster Fairgrounds from 11-3. This is the biggest event of the year and we try not to miss it. You can find more information at their website here.


Welcome to Monday Mischief – The pet blog hop that wraps up the weekend! This Blog Hop is brought to you by Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog, and My Brown Newfies.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Paws in the Park 2014


We had such a wonderful time and so much to tell that it didn't fit into one blog post. The Save a Dog Paws in the Park is held on the grounds of the historical Wayside Inn in Sudbury. (More about the historical sites in another post. Mom made us pose for pictures so we could share.) We saw so many new shelters and rescues that we hadn't seen before. It was great seeing them all come out and have a chance to get name recognition and make some money for their rescues.

When we went in we got bandanas and a goodie bag. If you were rescued from Save A Dog you got one color. Everyone else got the blue we are wearing. We thought we looked dashing.

People were so kind and generous and because we were so cute well behaved we got lots of free treats. Mom brought home some, too.

We thought of Frankie and Ernie when we saw the Daschund Rescue Kissing Booth. If you'd have been there guys, they'd have broken the piggy bank.





Monday, April 28, 2014

Save a Dogs Paws in the Park



Save a Dog in Sudbury is hosting their annual Paws in the Park on Sunday May 4, 2014 from 10AM-3PM at the Wayside Inn, 72 Wayside Inn Road in Sudbury, MA.

The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-12, and free to those under 5. For more information check out the website here.

This has become one of our annual dog walk events. We love walking in a historic place, shopping, activities, and visiting with the other dogs.

If you walk a little farther, you can even see the building where Mary's little lamb went to school. The building has moved from its original location, but you can see Mary's school. (Dogs have to peek in from the door, but you can take your picture outside if you want.)

Last year we got to try complimentary massages and a doggy agility course. Who knows what this year will bring. If you are in the area, come down and help raise some funds for Save a Dog.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Our Day at Paws in the Park



We had a wonderful day at Paws in the Park on Sunday. The one mile walk was held at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury and we got to walk past the Grist Mill. Mom used to picnic there with her grandmother, so it's one of her favorite spots. We weren't so crazy about the water from the mill. We had a big surprise when Cousin Heather showed up to accompany us for the day. Katy seemed to do really well with Heather. There were lots of vendors to visit before and after the walk.

We got to try some new things and got better at some old things. They handed out complimentary bandanas. Blue meant we weren't rescued from Save a Dog, but were there to support them. There was a woman promoting her dog massage business who gave us complimentary massages.





Katy wasn't too sure about having a stranger do a massage and then the woman found the spot. First Katy dropped to a seated position and then she laid down. She was actually disappointed when the session ended. Bailey could have stayed all day.

There was a fun try out agility course to raise money for Save A Dog. Bailey did the best he's done yet. Katy has always refused to try any of the exercises before. However, lately she's been creating more of her own obstacle courses. Today, she was still paniced over the crowds, but only refused to go through the long tunnel. She did go through the short one.

We haven't moved much since we got home. It was a pretty exhausting. We are so glad so many people turned out to support Save A Dog.




Monday, April 22, 2013

Paws in the Park



As rescue dogs we love to promote events for other dogs in need of a new home. Save a Dog is hosting Paws in the Park at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts on Sunday May 5 from 10-3. The cost is $10 for adults and children 12 and older. Those 11 and under are charged $5. Registration for the one-mile walk starts at 10 AM. The walk begins at 11 AM. There are all kinds of vendors, doggie games, food, and more. Check out the event website here.

Mom was all excited about going to this event two years ago and then she got sick. Somehow, she missed it last year. This year we are determined to be there.