Join us for this year’s Bark in the Park

Come join us tomorrow at Churchill County Fairgrounds for our annual 5K Strut-Your-Mutt Walk/Run, followed by the main event: Bark in the Park.

If you haven’t registered for the 5K but want to participate, registrations will start at 7:30 a.m. and end promptly at 8:45 a.m.(NO exceptions).The fee is $15 per person or $40 for a group of four.

For those who register on race day, we will try but cannot promise to give you an event T-shirt and goodie bag (CAPS guarantees these to those who pre-registered). If you have been sponsored, there is no fee. Dogs also walk/run free and must be leashed.

The 5K starts at 9 a.m., with the awards given at the race end; Bark in the Park, which is free to all, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As with the 5K, all dogs must be leashed. Water buckets will be placed around the park for our thirsty four-legged friends. Bags for picking up poo will also be available, along with hand sanitizer.

A schedule of events will be placed on the main stage. There will be music brought to us by DJ Ralph Rodrigues. The day will be filled with demonstrations from the NAS Fallon K-9 Unit, and we will be running our own agility course. Like other years, we’ll be raffling some very desirable items.

And, yes, there will be the doggie contests, which everyone loves: Biggest and Littlest Paws, Most Talented (Trick), Best Dressed, Longest and Shortest Ears, Longest and Shortest Tails, Most and Least Fur and Musical Sit. Does your furry friend need a bath?

Well, stop by the CAPS Doggie-Washing Station. This service is provided free, but we will happily accept donations. After your pooch is spiffy looking, you may want to have his or her picture taken for our 2014 Happy Endings calendar. If so, stop by and see Kim Lamb, who will be waiting for you and your buddy. The sitting fee is only $20, and you’ll receive a 5×7-in. photo, which will be sent to you at a later date.

Be sure to stop by the CAPS booth where we love chatting with you, our friends. We will have not only our usual goodies for sale (calendars, shirts, caps and totes) but also cold sodas, hot coffee and homemade baked treats and candy.

We could not put on this fun day without vendors: Mutts, etc.; Maggie’s Playhouse Doggie Day Care; Lahontan Valley Veterinary Clinic; Body Balance and Wellness Center; Noah’s Ark Pet Sitting; The UnCommon Thread; Premier Jewelry Design; Fallon Animal Welfare Group (FAWG); Fallon Animal Control; Argonn; and Boxers and Buddies; Amanda’s Store; and Auntie’s Indian Tacos.

We also couldn’t hold this event without the help from our sponsors: Lahontan Valley News, Top Gun Kennels, Fallon Veterinary Clinic, Lahontan Valley Veterinary Clinic, Western Nevada Insurance Services, Body Balance and Wellness and CC Communications. We thank them for their generosity.

In other happenings, we are almost finished building the exercise yard, which we have dubbed “Freedom Run” for our shelter dogs. A small group of dedicated dog walkers walk our guests often, but Freedom Run will allow playing, an activity that is so important for canine health, both physical and mental.

We have had the very good fortune of all material and labor being donated. However, we’re short just a few things to make it complete: some seating for the people who will play with the pooches. If you have sturdy outdoor benches or chairs that you don’t need, we would gladly make use of them.

We request that said seating can withstand our Nevada summers and winters because they will remain in Freedom Run all year-round. Please call the shelter during normal business hours (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

Next, be sure to stop by Flower Tree Nursery to buy raffle tickets ($1 each or six for $5) for “Prairiefire,” a vibrant-pink crabapple tree valued at $79.99. All proceeds from this raffle benefit CAPS. Tickets can also be purchased at the shelter (when open) and tomorrow at Bark in the Park. The drawing will be held on June 1 at Flower Tree, and you don’t have to be present to win.

This week’s article was contributed by Betty Duncan, a member of the CAPS board of directors.