My National Dog Show Charity Walk Experience

On Sunday, October 16th, I attended the first of many events during Philadelphia’s National Dog Show month, the annual National Dog Show Charity Walk. Having never attended anything like it before, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. However, quickly upon my arrival, crowds of happy owners and excited dogs on leashes began to pour in. I was attending the event as a volunteer, working to help out wherever needed, but it was hard to concentrate when so many friendly animals kept walking up to me. It was hard to resist petting each and every dog, and I just wanted to give them all love and attention.

            After experiencing the event for the first time, I can say that I am so impressed and elated that something like this goes on in my own community, and I am so disappointed that I never knew about it before. The four hour event was all about celebrating the wonderful canines in our lives, and making sure that they know how much they are loved and appreciated. The morning was filled with a variety of fun activities from the walk, to an obstacle course, to doggie “voting” where they ate out of one of two bowls to vote for a certain presidential candidate, to a costume contest for Halloween. The fun-filled morning was all about giving back to local communities, with all proceeds benefitting the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House and canine related charities. There were even dogs at the event that were up for adoption, which was a brilliant way to help them find a forever home. I had to hold myself back from taking home a dog of my own.

            I was proud to see that something like this goes on to spread positivity and love for the animals that do so much in our lives. There were members of the Therapy Dog Ambassador team in attendance and tons of other service dogs. Aladdin, who is a service dog who was called down to Orlando after the nightclub shooting, was one of the many dogs who were thanked for their hard work. As a passionate animal lover, it was heartwarming to see that so many other people love and appreciate dogs the way that I do. A dog is so much more than a pet, it is truly man’s best friend.

            Want to come out and show some love to the canines in our community? There are plenty more opportunities during the rest of Philadelphia’s National Dog Show Month. The next events coming up are the National Dog Show Press Preview on November 10 and a showing of the theatrical production The Perfect Dog on November 11. Finally, National Dog Show month will come to a close with the Gala on November 18 and, the main event, The National Dog Show on November 19-20. For more information regarding any of these events be sure to check out NationalDogShow.com. 

 Marina Del Conte, West Chester University

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Please Share Your Feedback

Hi Everyone! Thanks for welcoming me into the blogosphere! I have been working on all kinds of fun entries to post in the near future. But now I am curious to read some of your feedback. I’d really like to know what you think of the title, Learn From Your Dog, and the rationale behind the title? In case you need a refresher, the inspiration behind the name of Learn from Your Dog comes from observing all of the wonderful attributes of dogs. Everyday dog owners are determined to teach their pets to sit, stay, or roll over. And while you might not want muddy paw prints all over your clothes, couldn’t you stand to learn something from your dog’s energetic hello? Wouldn’t it be nice to be that honestly excited about something? A dog is the epitome of loyalty, dedication, integrity, selflessness, patience and unconditional love– traits most humans could use some work on.         Can’t wait to read your thoughts! 
Read more

Dog-sitting Adventures

Image
Max plays with his toy, while Maggie gets cozy. Last week, I had the opportunity to dog-sit two Dachshunds, named Maggie and Max. Just from looking at their short legs and long bodies compared to my Australian Shepherds’ long legs and large bodies, I knew that Maggie and Max were going to be very different from Buddy and Magic! Everything from their bedtime routines to their meal times were different from my own furry friends. However, over the course of my stay, I learned that even Dachshunds and Australian Shepherds share some similarities. Maggie curled up on her pillow. Both pairs of dogs have certain things that set them off. Buddy likes to chase deer and play with a tennis ball, while Max prefers to bark at rabbits and play with a squeaky toy he ripped all of the stuffing out of. Magic can’t stand bike wheels or when we roll the trash can down the driveway, while Maggie is terrified of the garbage truck and taking a different route on her walks. However, all four seem
Read more

Sparkling Personalities

Image
           I don’t know about you, but one thing I've noticed over the years is that dogs have very unique and interesting personalities. From their smiles to their playful fights, Buddy and Magic are full of spunk                          Over the years, my family has tried to pinpoint where our dogs get their personality traits – much like a dog version of nature vs. nurture argument. Some people think that we deflect our own personalities on our pets, or exaggerate their behaviors into more than they actually are. However, from watching dog to dog interactions, my opinion is that dogs really do have their own personalities that make each one fun and  lovable .             When we first brought Magic home, she was a terror! She chewed our shoes; she would run circles around the house instead of coming inside at night; in short she thought she ran the show! Two years later, Buddy joined the family and Magic began to take out her struggle for dominance on Buddy. While Magic
Read more