Sisters celebrates dogs with a howling good time

Wagging tails and excited barks filled the Village Green in Sisters as dogs and dog-lovers gathered to celebrate the fourth annual Doggie Dash/Stroll & Festival presented by Friends of the Sisters Library (FOSL) and Furry Friends Foundation.

The new venue offered up lush surroundings where canines and their humans could mingle among friends, family and visitors ready to enjoy a day for the dogs.

The dog days of summer cooled down Saturday morning just in time for folks and their furry friends to enjoy the 5K run that kicked off the celebration at 9 a.m. A few minutes later the two-mile walkers departed. The dash/stroll route went south from the park onto Peterson Ridge trails and back to the park. The dash/stroll was open to all ages, with or without a dog. And 5K winner Zack Connelly was without one.

The park was packed with hundreds of dogs of various shapes, sizes and colors, including a hairless pink one that looked suspiciously like a pig. The unusual looking "dog" was, in fact, a three-year-old pot-bellied pig named Zoey who might have thought she was a canine instead of a porcine. Her pet parents Robert Jeffrey and Robine Bot own Harmony Farms Sanctuary, a home for animals in Sisters Country.

Zoey's guardians for the day were Marieke Jeffrey, 11, and brother Lex, 8, and they entered her in the Best Trick contest.

"We rescued her and they told us she was a mini pig but she kept getting bigger," Marieke said.

The BrightSide Animal Center table was up and running with Sana Hayes, volunteer coordinator, at the helm. Three dogs from the center were at the event and up for adoption.

Delectable morning munchies were donated by Sisters Coffee Co., Angeline's Bakery & Café, and Sisters Bakery.

One of the highlights at the event was a lure-running course for pooches that love to chase things. It was ongoing, and any dog could try his luck at chasing the fuzzy lure that was strung behind a plastic bag that was attached to a long line on a pulley.

Owner of the lure, Jackie Koski, was on hand to explain what a lure course is all about.

"We travel all over the country with our lure course and four silken windhounds that compete. The lure course is normally about 1,000 feet long and the dogs are judged on agility and speed and athleticism."

Mt. Bachelor Kennel Club offered an obedience rally for any dog that knew basic commands.

"I think this venue is great and more dog-friendly. We're doing our novice rally course for people to bring their dogs in so we can give them a little help with dog obedience," said Lori Nickerson, club president.

Bend Agility and Action Dogs (BAAD) were happy with the park area reserved for their agility course. They brought in dogs of all sizes and abilities that were cued by their pet parents as they maneuvered the course together.

"We really like the new fenced-in area, it's small, compact and just perfect for our dogs to go through the course," said Barb Brandt, BAAD president. "We have about 23 dogs that will be taking turns going through the demo course for people to watch."

The club members encouraged folks to look on as the well-trained canines wove around poles, cleared jumps without knocking poles, raced through tunnels and scaled A-frames, all in record time.

The event included five fun contests for dogs and their pet parents and one contest, the K9 Pie-Eating contest for pooches only.

The contests were $10 for each doggie contestant, and all proceeds benefitted Furry Friends Foundation.

Emcee Scott Buckles, the original 2009 Doggie Dash organizer, announced each contest with gusto and added a sparkle of humor that kept up the momentum.

There were three volunteer contest judges: Fred McCaulou of Sisters Feed & Supply; Dr. Dana Bailey, DVM from Broken Top Veterinary Clinic; and Sana Hayes from BrightSide Animal Center.

"I really love the new location; the shade is really helpful and the park is very visible for people driving by. It's a great turnout and I thought the contests were well-organized," said Hayes.

At 10:30 a.m. the contests began, and first up was Best Trick, it was sold out with 10 entries.

Dr. Bonnie Malone and Weezer took the honors.

The Best Look Alike contest winner was Glenda Smith and her standard poodle Bailey, the Best Hair contest winner was Dove, a silken windhound, pet parent Cherie Judd. Best Howl went to Georgia, an Alaskan Klee Kai, pet parent Richard Adler. In the grand finale, the K-9 Pie Eating contest winner was Sedona, a rescue dog - pet parent Renata Thommen.

There were prizes for all events and contests, including Doggie Dash Hydro Flasks, a hand-painted portrait of your dog, dog toys and bowls from Ruffwear, leashes from PetSmart, a bike tune-up from Blazin Saddles, gift certificates from Sisters Feed, toys from Heartwarmers and goodie bags from Central Bark.

Proceeds from the event went to FOSL to help fund purchases to add to Sisters Library's collection of books and audio books, and to Furry Friends Foundation.