Sisters celebrates canine buddies

The dog days of summer cooled off a bit for the Sisters Doggie Dash & Stroll on Saturday at Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD), organized by Friends of the Library (FOSL).

The perfect spot for doggie dashing or strolling is down the local trail systems at SPRD. It is situated among some gorgeous scenery with great trails for hikers, runners or mountain-bikers.

Dogs of all sizes and breeds were eager to get started along with their people.

Trudy Kalac from Sisters and her two border collies were waiting for the signal to start.

"I think this is a great event," she said. "We have never done this before. It looks like a lot of fun."

Promptly at 9 a.m., Steve Auerbach, Friends of the Sisters Library (FOSL) member, announced the 5K dash was about to begin, followed by the 3.2K stroll at 9:10 a.m.

"We have a lot of wonderful sponsors for this event and have many vendors here today. The rotary club is here with coffee and donuts or granola bars," said Auerbach.

Furry Friends Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Sisters that provides food and services to pets in need, was selling quilt raffle tickets and handing out dog cookies.

Leanne Smith, FOSL member, handed out doggie-bone charm awards to hang on pooches' collars with the inscription "Finisher, Sisters Doggie Dash" to each participant that ran or strolled across the finish line.

"I think this is a good turnout for the first year. Scott Buckles organized this event in 2009, but then he moved to Hawaii. We took the reins on what he started. The Doggie Dash appealed to the Friends of the Library very much. We wanted to do an event that involved community and family," said Smith. "The proceeds are going toward the library reading programs."

A portion of proceeds are also earmarked for SPRD and Furry Friends Foundation.

The first dog to cross the finish line was Stella, a vizsla, a medium-sized dog originating from Hungary, followed by her owner Jason Gulley.

Gulley is a distance runner and works at GreenRidge Physical Therapy & Wellness in Sisters.

"This was really fun and Stella's first time doing this," said Gulley.

Mark Hilgart from Sisters brought his search-and-rescue trailing dog, Jake, with him.

"Jake is half German shepherd and half Dutch shepherd. We took him on the 2K stroll with our other dog, Zoe," he said.

Vendor Brandon Sylvester from La Pine had the perfect meal bar for canine friends.

"It's a meal for your dog on the go," said Sylvester. "Turbo Pup is a meal bar that uses 100 percent natural, human-grade, high-quality ingredients to exceed AAFCO standards."

Greyhound Pet Adoption Northwest had at least 11 greyhounds to show off, and a few were up for adoption.

As the morning sun became hot, dogs became thirsty.

Buckets of water were placed around for the dogs and dipping pools were loads of fun for all the canines.

The Humane Society of the Ochocos was there with adoptable dogs and crunchy bone treats. Just in case someone didn't have a dog of their own to stroll with, they had one to borrow.

Monica Rendon, a dog trainer and volunteer for the Humane Society of the Ochocos, was there to facilitate the dog adoptions.

"Everyone is excited, and the dogs are all getting along well. What a great turnout," said Rendon.

Mid-morning, the rotary club started up the barbecue and out came the hot dogs for everyone to enjoy.

"The proceeds that we earn will go to support backpacks for school children," said Barbara Turner, rotary member.

Smith was all smiles as the event was coming to a close.

"Fifty-two dogs showed up and I think it was a good turnout for the first year. We're already coming up with new ideas for next year. It was perfect weather, great trails and no one got hurt."