Key points:
-Bo’s Bones Organic Dog Biscuits held the 4th annual Ithaca Dog Fest, a festival with over 45 vendors and local shelters, on Sept. 23
-This year, the festival took place in Cass Park in response to the large number of attendees.
-Rainbow of Hope Animal Rescue, an Ithaca-local dog shelter, was the recipient of the First Annual Bo’s Bones Charities Grant of $500.
What do loud barks, wagging tails, Cass Park, and organic dog biscuits have in common? They were all center stage at Ithaca’s 4th annual Dog Fest, a free outdoor event, welcome to humans and dogs.
A Fluffy History…
What do loud barks, wagging tails, Cass Park, and organic dog biscuits have in common? They were all center stage at Ithaca’s 4th annual Dog Fest, a free outdoor event, welcome to humans and dogs.
Pat Malinowski, one of the event coordinators for the festival and representative with Bo’s Bones Gourmet Organic Dog Biscuits, said this year has brought in the greatest number of vendors and dog-rescue groups, including organizations from as far away as Rochester.
“We have one group, Citizens Against Puppy Mills, from outside the Buffalo area…We have a service dog group from Syracuse, and with that, we have a whole bunch of rescues from all of Tompkins County, Chemung. So, the rescues are well-represented.”
In previous years, Malinowski said, the festival was held outside Ithaca Grain & Pet Supply, but after seeing the influx of attendees, they needed to relocate the festival to Cass Park.
“We quickly grew – we had twelve vendors that year and then we moved up [to Cass Park] because we needed more space,” Malinowski said. “This year we have 42 vendors … in that 42, we have rescues and dog rights groups here. So we’ve expanded it a lot. As you can see as you look around, we have lots of people – and lots of dogs. ”
Charities Working Like Dogs
Malinowski said this is the first year Bo’s Bones Organic Dog Biscuits awarded a grant to a rescue group. Rainbow of Hope Animal Rescue, an Ithaca-local dog shelter, was the recipient of a $500 grant. There were eight other organizations that applied for the grant.
Carol Solomon, a volunteer at Helping Hounds in Syracuse, said that besides allowing for people to adopt dogs, the event spotlights the impact of dog shelters in the Ithaca area.
Helping Hounds is a nonprofit organization which works in the United States to pull dogs from abusive shelters.
The Helping Hounds tent at Ithaca Dog Fest 2017
“After the pups are spayed and neutered, they’re moved into proper shelters which take care of the dogs,” Solomon said.
Solomon said that in a typical weekend, the organization will take in and find homes for around 50 pups.
“Last [Friday] we had 54 puppies come in, and typically by Sunday, those all will be adopted,” she said.
Every Dog Has His Day…
Bailey Lyons, student at Lehman Alternative Community School, brought along Tuck, the six-week old therapy dog she’s training, to the festival to gather donations for her senior project.
Bailey Lyons brought her training dog, Tuck, to Ithaca Dog Fest.
“My senior project is raising a therapy dog for the school,” Lyons said. “I’m doing this so students will have a dog that they can just go to chill out with and feel comforted.”
Jazz, Drake and Cooper all relax on the grass at Ithaca Dog Fest.
Malinowski said she feels it’s important for people to engage with and donate to local shelters around the country, in part because she’s had a pup her whole life.
“It’s probably because I’m very biased,” Malinowski said. “I’ve had dogs – at least two – my whole life. My dogs are rescues. I volunteer for the Blind Dog Rescue Alliance. One of my dogs is blind and deaf, and because of that I’ve become more and more involved with other rescues and trying to make sure that our best friends find homes.”
Photo of Rainbow of Hope Animal Rescue courtesy of Bo’s Bones Organic Dog Biscuits.
