2010 Paws in the Park

It was quite a weekend. We (Mudd Puppies and About Paws) had a wonderful time at Paws in the Park and enjoyed seeing all the familiar and new faces. Our booth was between The Mud Room and Dogs Deserve Better. Nicer neighbors we could not have asked for. I wish we'd had more time to visit with them, but we were all so busy that it left little time for socializing.

I wanted to give a special thank you to a few people and businesses. First off, Mike and his staff at Instant Imprints did a great job on our banner. Second, Ashley and the staff at Brown Printing in Jefferson City for not only printing our business cards, but the rush job we stuck them with for our brochures. A big thank you also to Kim and her staff at Treats Unleashed for the treats we handed out, swapping printed material with us and all the advice Kim gave us for exhibiting our first time. And thanks to everyone who came out in support of Columbia Second Chance and to everyone who stopped by to visit with us.

I also had a chance to wander around to some of the other booths, although I didn't have time to visit all of them. Some of them are worth mentioning though.

Of course I have to mention Columbia Second Chance. This organization does such a wonderful job helping re-home pets and hosting community events such as Paws in the Park. We at Mudd Puppies are huge advocates of adopting from rescues if you're looking to add a pet to your home.

I also stopped by Big Muddy Dockdogs. If you're not familiar with this sport you should check it out, either as a participant or just as an observer. In the simplest terms, the dog runs down a dock and attempts to jump as far as they can out into the water. There is a fee, but, as I understood it, your first session is free. I'm thinking about taking my Duncan out to try it. A lot of problems with dogs stem not only from lack of physical exercise, but also mental stimulation. A sport for dogs to participate in not only strengthens the bond between dog and person, but gives them that stimulation. Come give it a try or just come to cheer on the participants.

Finally, I wanted to mention one of our neighbors, Dogs Deserve Better. If you've read my other blogs, you know that dogs are social animals and leaving a dog chained or penned outside all the time is cruel and inhumane, not to mention running the risk of pain and suffering due to a collar becoming embedded. Dogs Deserve Better rescues these dogs and places them in homes where they can be part of a loving family.

Some things to note are that dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite when chained or penned due mainly to lack of socialization. A reported 268 children in the US were killed or seriously injured by chained or penned dogs between October 2003 and August 2009. Currently, over 150 cities and counties and several European countries ban limited tethering. If you know of a dog in this situation, these are the people to contact.

Columbia Second Chance
Treats Unleashed
Big Muddy Dockdogs
Dogs Deserve Better
Instant Imprints
Brown Printing