Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash

I love giving back to those that give back to those that give back. Ok, let me rephrase that. I love giving back to places like Dogtopia that give back to community servants such as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police K9 Unit.

On Saturday, July 17th, Dogtopia hosted a Charity Dog Wash to help raise money to purchase Police K9 First Aid kits. Doggy baths were the main event but guests also had the opportunity to browse vendor booths, enjoy a bake sale, and participate in a raffle. For the full spa experience, the four-legged guests even had the opportunity to relax with a canine massage!

Dogtopia's goal was to collect just over $1400 - enough to purchase 6 kits for our furry duty dogs. Thankfully, partly due to an *awesome* last minute donation from Meow and Fetch Pet Sitting, the goal was reached!!! I'd say the day was an overwhelming success!

Many thanks go out to the thoughtful people and dogs that came out to support the event! Your generosity is greatly appreciated by so many people and police K9s. Also a big thanks to the vendors and volunteers that helped at the event including, all the doggy washers, Char-Meck Animal Care & Control, DoodyCalls, Filters First, Hounds for Heros, Ben & Jerry's, and Pawws and Relax.

Now here is the star of the show! This is Officer Joe Hoskins (who, by the way, is the coolest cop I've ever met) and his totally rad K9, Scout. Scout is 8 years old and will soon be retiring from his police duties. He will happily spend his retirement living with Officer Hoskins where he will be deeply loved. Can't you just see the pride, love, and respect these two have for each other? I heart this...

While the pups waited their turn for their baths, they enjoyed yummy homemade ice cream treats provided by Hounds For Heros. This gave me some great material for some cute tongue shots and funny faces!

Almost 100 dogs showed up to get pampered and they all waited patiently in the lobby for their turn in the spa...

Doggies got treated to a shampoo, towel-dry, fragrant spritz and bandana. They all turned out gorgeous!

Here are some more doggies that came out to support the Char-Meck Police K9 Unit...

If you pup isn't shown here, that doesn't mean I don't adore him or her! Check out this link to see more pics!

Thank you to everyone that came out to support such a good cause! Hope to see you again next year!

Bark in the Park 2010

Rain, no rain, rain, no rain. That's what was going on the morning of the 2010 Bark in the Park. I was getting so anxious because I really wanted to go and check it out, but I only had a small window of opportunity before I had to head out of town. Fortunately, the rain stopped and I got to enjoy about an hour-and-a-half of the event!

I managed to meet lots of great people and got to learn about some really cool pet-friendly businesses in the Charlotte area. It is nice to know that there are companies out there that genuinely care about your pet as much as you do!

I didn't take a ton of pics but wanted to share some of the ones I did take. Because I didn't get to see any of the contests or doggy trials, I decided to make up my own awards based on what I saw in the short period of time I was there. If your doggy or business isn't on here, I'll try to catch you next year when I can hang around longer!!!

The first award goes to this handsome guy from the Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue. He wins the award for Best Tongue...

These cuties definitely win for Most Pampered Pooches...

I love all dog breeds but these two are quickly moving to the top of the favorites list - they are so photogenic! These are the winners for Top Model...

The gorgeous fabrics, colors, and patterns have won this vendor Best Display! These are all hand made and can be found at Haute Dogs. I want one of each!

These were found at the Canine Cafe display and they have won the Best Dog toys EVER!!!!! These things crack me up! I love the chest hair and the chain on the trailer trash chicken...

Winner for Best Air Time...

This girl wins hands down for Best Frisbee Catcher. In the photo on the left, she has 5 (that's right, 5) frisbees in her mouth!

The end!

2010 Dogswalk Against Cancer

The 2010 Dogswalk Against Cancer was the biggest and best yet! On Saturday, April 3rd, hundreds of dogs and their people ascended on uptown Charlotte for a 1.1 mile walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Almost 1000 people registered and over $59,000 was raised to fight both human and animal cancers! Yay! This event was truly special to me as I have never seen SO many dogs and their owners unite for one cause. Every doggy was amazing and its truly touching to see how a common interest in animals can unite and create an instant bond between complete strangers. A million thanks to the awesome people, sponsors, and beloved dogs that came out to support this event.

Who can resist a face like this?

These guys cracked me up! I think they were hitting the margaritas!

This little guy was ready to go again!

This sweet guy (available at the Great Dane Rescue) made it the whole way...he just had to stop and rest a couple times.

Being cute is tough work!

A few doggies had the red carpet treatment and got chauffeured down the street!

I fell in LOVE with this Bulldog! His name is Bacon (how awesome!) and he has the coolest tongue. The poor guy was soooo exhausted!!!

Some more furry cuteness...

These next few pups are available for adoption at the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas...