By Cheye Roberson
Sentinel Correspondent
The sun shone brightly on Adopt-a-Dog’s 28th annual Puttin’ on the Dog Sunday in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, an event that helps bring “forever homes” to dogs in need of adoption.
“We’re having a great day today so far,” said Adopt-a-Dog Executive Director Kristen Rice. “We brought 17 of our dogs. And I believe at the last check in I had with the adoptions coordinators, we have applications in for most of the dogs that are here today. That means we’ll be able to get at least half of our dogs into homes. For us, even just one is a success, but having applications for almost all of them is amazing.”
This was the status before the dog show began; then the dogs looking for homes were introduced to the crowd and given time to shine on catwalk, so to speak.
Many dog lovers brought their furry family members from home to take part in the events and competitions of the day.
Between a tent for family photos and an area for dog massages, there were many goodies for dogs to partake of. In the Pet Pantry Pavilion, vendors offered free samples of treats, fine canine dining, and organic choices for pets. The adoption area provided space for non-profit organizations hoping to unite pets with loving families.
Rice said that Adopt-a-Dog welcomes other animal-related groups to its showcase event. “We have our adoptions tent for Adopt-a-Dog. We also have groups such as SNARR [Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation]. We have Cat Assistance. We have Fidelco [Guide Dog Foundation]. We have the Good Dog Foundation. Bikers Against Animal Cruelty are here. We have a wide variety of groups that have some sort of an animal tie-in.”
In the Adoption Center, Puttin’ on the Dog had 17 dogs from Adopt-a-Dog available, “and in the spirit of Puttin’ on the Dog,” Rice added, “we invite other rescue groups here to try and help them find homes for their pets as well.”
Puttin’ on the Dog doesn’t exclude cats. “We have a cat tent. We don’t forget about the cats. We have a cat and kitten pavilion,” said Rice. “Actually, our shelter manager is fostering several kittens. And then I know that several other groups also brought cats available. There’s obviously Cat Assistance, a group called Adore-a-Bullie Paws and Claws that has cats available as well.”
The event teemed with activity. As children played in a Yo-Gabba-Gabba bouncy castle, one Greenwich man gathered signatures toward building a more desirable dog park in town. Jay Haverson, whose dog, 16-year-old Woodie, won second place in the “aged to perfection” competition, said Greenwich’s present dog park is situated in a less than ideal spot. “Over there is the sewage treatment plant, Grass Island. And they put in a dog park, but it’s not properly designed and it smells. It’s a sewage treatment plant.
“What I’m here for today is to promote a new dog park in Greenwich,” he said. “That would be under the route 95 in Cos Cob on River Road. So, it’s taking a space that’s not utilized. Currently, it’s owned by the state. And I’m hoping that the town would be interested in going ahead and making that into something.”
