Fur is Mandatory at These Events

By Guest Writer, Kirk Whitham

If you're like me, you think of your dog as your baby. So why wouldn't you want to bring your dog along with you every place you could? Here's a list of dog-friendly events welcoming your furry friends with open arms.

Church

Have you ever thought about bringing your dog to church? Well in Dallas, Texas one pastor in particular has welcomed canine companions to Sunday service. Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church, welcomed canines of all kinds to "Dog Days" a weekend event last April featuring pet-friendly activities. This dog-friendly event was part of his series "Wild" in which he talked about animals from the bible. Ed Young Fellowship patrons loved the dog event and have pictures on the church's Facebook page to prove it.

At First Christian Church in Brunswick, Ohio, dogs are accepted and welcome to attend services with their owners. According to lifewithdogs.tv, the pastor got the idea when his dog sat beside a church member who sat alone on Christmas Eve.

Dog Park

If you've wanted to find your dog a play date, there's no better place than a dog park. Easy going pet owners let their canine friends run free in a grassy dog heaven, but if you have a cute little Yorkie, don't worry. All dog parks have separate areas for large dogs and small dogs, so no harm will come to them. The best part about dog parks is you get to make new friends as well! This is especially great to do if you've moved to a new neighborhood and have yet to make friends.

Paws in the Park 2013

On March 24 in Escondido, California, people and their canine companions are welcome to the Escondido Humane Society's Paws in the Park dog walk. Located at Kit Carson Park, this event helps raise funding and awareness for animals in need. Registration for the event is free and all registrants receive prizes based on the amount of pledges raised. After the walk there will be fun activities and contests for you and your dog, including a paw-parazzi parade. Event is scheduled from 8 a.m. till Noon.

Doggie Olympic Games

Long Beach, Washington is home to the Doggie Olympic Games. From June 28-29, dog owners come together and have their furry friends compete in fun games. All dogs are welcome in this friendly, competitive environment. Ever wanted to compete in a dog show but couldn't due to your dog's type? The Olympic Games are a fun alternative! The line up includes:

• "What, No Ducks?" ball toss.
• "Nadia Comaneci" agility course.
• "RIP Van Winkle Sleep Off" lying down contest.
• "Dunking for (Hot) Dogs" hotdog eating contest
• "Filla Fuller Brush Shedding" hair shedding competition.
• "Luciano Pavarotti Commemorative Sing-Off" singing competition.
• "Babe Ruth Obedience Baseball" course.
• "I've Got Rhythm Musical Sit" musical chairs.
• "Peanut Butter Lick" peanut butter eating competition.
• "Frisbee Throw"
• "Who's  Your Daddy" popularity contest.
• "Doggie Dash" running competition.

About the author: A huge bluegrass fan and animal rights activist, Kirk supports the movement toward a more sustainable planet. He shares his ideas with readers online.

Kirby's Daycare

Kirby has full access to the house except when I have to go to work five days each week. For his safety he is confined to his playroom/my office. This room contains my desk, a work table and bookcase. It also contains toys, one dog bed, two dog mats, the kennel used when he was a puppy, a small water fountain, and a radio I turn on when I leave.

Kirby and I have a routine we follow every morning which he easily adapted to from the start. When it's time for me to leave, I grab some of his kibble in the kitchen and we head to the playroom. He often times begins to whimper and turn in circles as we walk down the hall. Once in the room he must sit and wait while I place the kibble in some of his interactive toys. Then I walk to the door, shut the gate, and say, "Get your treats".

He never cries, just begins working on his toys as I leave for work. 

In the evenings when I return, I walk into the house and set down my keys and purse. I never hear a sound as I walk to the gate to his room. He learned as a puppy to be quiet and still before I would open the kennel to let him out. He remembers to do the same now. To this day I still find him waiting inside his kennel which is always left open. He sits patiently while I slowly open the gate.  Once it is open he jumps out to run to me with his tail wagging. A few kisses and hugs and we head outside for his potty break.

I'm amused that he will not enter the playroom at any other time unless I walk in there first.

Market Street Festival 2012

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a day at the Annual Market Street Festival in downtown Columbus, Mississippi. This festival has it all - food, drink, music, handmade crafts, a section devoted to children, and best of all, fido can join the family!  

Market Street Festival began in 1996 and over the past 17 years has grown to be the largest special event and festival in Columbus, Mississippi and one of the largest in the state. Market Street Festival is held the first weekend in May each year and encompasses 12 city blocks and the Riverwalk in historic downtown Columbus. Market Street Festival has been named as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society for 14 consecutive years and has received many other prestigious awards throughout the years. A crowd of nearly 40,000 gathers each year to enjoy all the two day festival has to offer including over 250 arts, crafts and food vendors and dozens of special events, musical acts and activities such as 5K Run, Juried Arts Exhibit, Petting Zoo, Train Rides, Video Game Trailer, WCBI "Crank It Up" Car Giveaway, and Zumba in the Streets through-out the two day festival.  

We had so much fun so we have a lot of pictures to share...

Time for a break!

It was 86 degrees which doesn't sound very hot but add in the humidity factor, the hot pavement, and Kirby coat which made for a very hot dogger.  An easy fix as we headed to the children's section where we knew they had the fire truck set up for the kids and dogs to cool down.  We didn't have to ask twice as the children happily took turns holding Kirby's leash.

He wasn't getting wet enough from the spray so one of the fireman offered to wet him down which, contrary to the pictures, Kirby very much appreciated.

A   very happy wet rat!

Of course shopping is a must!  There was so much to choose from but I was lured to the metal yard sculptures.  It was hard to narrow down my choice but I decided I really liked these colorful flowers... $32.00 SOLD for $25.00!

Loved this quirky cat so I think I'm going to have to buy her next time I see her at another festival! Notice the pig next to her with the wings (when pigs fly comes to mind)...

BUT the most amazing metal sculpture has to be this charcoal grill pig!  We loved it!  Too bad we didn't have $499.00 in our pocket...

Another break for Kirby...

Then it was time to eat!  What can be better than crawfish and an ice cold beer on a hot summer day! $10.00 for a big plate of crawfish, corn on the cobb, and potatoes, enough to share.  $3.00 per beer.

We found a table under a canopy and dug in!  Yum!  My only complaint would have to be that there is no where to wash your hands so they smell like crawfish the rest of the day!

Kirby loves just about any seafood and crawfish is no exception.  I'm pretty sure he ate as much as we did!

He also enjoyed the shade under the table as he people watched and waited for any dropped food.

Being the race fans we are we had to check out these local race cars.  When we were asked if we wanted to take pictures of our dog sitting in one of the cars, we said "heck yea!"

Time for another break as we sat and listened to a band play

 Here's one of the many pictures we took of Kirby with children who wanted to pet him.

Did I mention how Market Street Festival is truly dog friendly?  There were dogs everywhere and, I'm happy to report, we never saw any poop - good pawrents!  So many people running booths generously offered dogs a cool drink of water.  We carried a water bottle for Kirby but he gladly accepted bowls of ice from kind vendors.

 It was such a fun day!  If you are ever in the area mark your calendar for this annual event!