Park goes to the dogs

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

By Kelly Soderlund
The Journal Gazette - Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Canines, owners stroll to benefit pet adoptions

Dogs of all sizes and one miniature horse named Freddie, with owner Betsy Gaines, mingle Sunday before the annual fundraising walk for Animal Care & Control.

Franke Park became like the Westminster Kennel Club on Sunday afternoon as dozens of dogs from different breeds waited to strut their stuff.

But unlike the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where top-notch canines are judged on their grooming and performance, the northeast Indiana dogs were less concerned with their beauty and more with getting to know the other dogs and tugging their owners through the park.

The Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control had its 19th annual Walk-For-Animals 2006 on Sunday, where owners walked their dogs 2 miles through Franke Park to raise money for the organization.

Last year the agency raised about $15,000, which was put toward educating children and adults about animal safety and promoting the adoption of animals in the shelter, said Peggy A. Bender, humane education specialist. Bender did not know how many people took part in Sunday’s walk but all were instructed to collect pledges to donate to the drive.

“Right now in Fort Wayne, they have identified our statistics that we have fewer children bitten in Fort Wayne than we do adults. But statistically across the country, children are generally the most often bit. We attribute that to our proactive education and making sure children know how to behave around animals, how to stay safe, parents to supervise their kids. The animal safety education is real important to us,” Bender said.

The walk was dedicated to Toby, a Labrador-golden retriever mix formerly known as Stevie, by workers at the Animal Care & Control. Toby was found wandering around Lake Avenue, bumping into objects and was brought to Animal Care & Control.

A veterinarian determined Toby had juvenile cataracts and entropian, a dog disorder that causes the eyelids to grow inward. The entropian was corrected , but Toby still has shadow vision.

Despite the dog’s vision problems and former life as a stray, Toby’s owner Jake Trammell, 26, said he’s a good pet. He has become this year’s example of the good that comes from adopting animals.

Franke Park was filled with dogs that were adopted from various groups, including Otis, a border collie mix, Gracie, a golden retriever, and Nick, a Labrador retriever. Otis, Gracie and Nick were part of a six-dog group with Nancy and Kim Stanley – sisters-in-law who walked for the third year.

Last year, the Stanley group’s theme was a takeoff from “The Brady Bunch,” and they plastered pictures on tote bags of themselves and their dogs in the grid frame the Bradys were found in during the television show’s opening credits.

This year’s theme: Hot pink with white feather boas around the dogs’ necks.

“(We’re here) just to support animal care and control in a fun way,” Nancy Stanley said.

The fun Chyna the St. Bernard was having was evident from her face. Chyna panted as other dogs walked by and a long string of drool hung from her mouth.

Her owner, Gloria Mayer of Columbia City, said Chyna initially gets pretty excited when she’s around other dogs, but Mayer figured she would calm down by the time they were ready to walk through the park. Chyna, who weighs in at 130 pounds, was one of the larger dogs at Franke Park, where breeds ranged from golden retrievers to Great Danes to Schnauzers to puppies to old-timers.

But while Chyna’s size may have been intimidating to the crowd, Mayer said she was the runt of the litter, coming from a father who weighed about 220 pounds.

For more information on adopting a dog or receiving information about animal safety, contact the Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control at 427-1244 or visit www.fwacc.org.