Dog Fest at Riverwood

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA GREGORIO

It was a day for the dogs.

Owners and their pooches gathered at the second annual Dog Fest on a warm and sunny September 27 for a day filled with fun and activities for their pets at Mississauga’s scenic Riverwood Park.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie and her five-year-old golden husky Adonis were there, as well as long-time former mayor Hazel McCallion and her Shiloh shepherd Missy.

“This is my first Dog Fest but I’m [at Riverwood] frequently,” said Crombie.

She kicked off the day by leading the popular walk-a-thon. Owners and their dogs had the option of taking a one-kilometre or three-kilometre walk around the park.

There were a variety of events families could enjoy such as an ultimate Frisbee dog show and a scent detection demonstration where dogs located a hidden object using their noses.

But the pet contests garnered the most attention. Families could enter their dogs for everything from best dressed, best singer, and best trick – through to the waggiest tail or most closely resembling their owner.

The crowd laughed and ahh’d at the dogs as they performed tricks and showed off their outfits.

“[Dog Fest] brings the community together,” says Crombie. “And it raises awareness of the animal shelter services and also of Riverwood Conservancy, which is really a hidden gem in our city.”

Riverwood Conservancy is a charity that provides programs and services to the community about environmental education and gardening, among other things.

About 10 booths ranging from charities to pet businesses were set up beside the main parking lot.

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One of the popular attractions of the day was the dog cart rides for kids run by the Good Guys Carting Dogs organization.

“We’re an all-breed carting group, a group of volunteers, and we raise money for various charities by giving cart rides for children for a minimum of $2 donation per child per ride,” said volunteer Carol Ralston.

The organization usually partners with dog and child-related charities such as Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer, and Lions Foundation, an organization that trains and provides dog guides to Canadians with disabilities.

Creature Comforts Pet Services was there to promote its dog day care and dog walking services.

“The one unique thing we do is we look after dogs in our own homes when people go away,” said owner Anne Gillespie. “So it’s a nice alternative to a kennel because a lot of people don’t want to leave their dog in the kennel.”

Even as the day neared an end, the park was still filled with families and their dogs.

Dawn Anselm and her family attended with their six-year-old bichon poodle Sandy.

Anselm liked everything about the festival but wished she’d known about it earlier.

“I came too late,” she said. “It’s my fault, too. My neighbour did tell me about it but I never knew how good it was.”

All the proceeds raised at the Dog Fest go to Mississauga Animal Services and the Riverwood Conservancy.