Doggone fun at Paws on Parade
Greg Zaffer stands tall with Rocco, a 16-month-old great Pyrenees. Rocco towered over all furry attendees at the event, to the amusement of many.
Dogs and dog owners from around Plumas County descended upon Graeagle Park on Saturday, June 10, amid a wave of cool
weather to participate in the third annual Paws on Parade hosted by High Sierra Animal Rescue.
The Paws on Parade event is one of the biggest fund-raising events for HSAR this year, and the proceeds were dedicated to paying for veterinarian visits as well as the general costs associated with supporting rescue dogs that are not already supported by local shelters.
The event boasted a large turnout and the total number of attendees stayed relatively constant throughout the day, though people moved around as activities changed.
Generally, HSAR relies heavily on private contributions, membership fees and its boarding kennels for revenue, so events like Paws on Parade are vitally important for the ongoing maintenance and expansion of the shelter’s animal rescue operation efforts, according to event organizers.
HSAR Board of Directors member Lori Lomas, who operated the information booth at the event, said that although the HSAR members have done their best to help the homeless dogs they find in the county, there is still much work to be done.
“We’ve made a lot of strides, but there are still a lot of dogs who are unwanted,” Lomas said. “But the proceeds here go to pay and support our rescued dogs.”
Lomas explained that HSAR hopes to eventually find homes for all the dogs in the county, though she added that there are serious economic and practical constraints to finding homes for every single unwanted pooch.
One of the first scheduled activities at the event was a group walk that was dedicated to saving homeless pets throughout the county.
Though not mandatory, participants were encouraged to find sponsors for the walk ahead of time to help fundraise for the event and to grant them a chance to win a prize.
Likewise, attendees were encouraged to donate to HSAR by buying tickets for a prize drawing.
A variety of different dogs, both trained and otherwise, were guided through agility courses throughout the day in a test of wit and speed in an entertaining spectacle that continually drew large crowds.
Yet though the agility courses may have been difficult for the dogs who ran through them, one of the most difficult activities of the day proved to be a “doggy scavenger hunt” where dogs scavenged through piles of hay in search of two bones wrapped in pink ribbons.
It took a full 10 minutes before the two bones in a haystack were found, but the dogs didn’t mind because little treats were scattered throughout the entire search area.
Attendees voiced approval for the event across the board, and HSAR is now gearing up for its next fundraising event, titled Pints for Pups, which takes place Sunday, July 23, at the Brewing Lair.
