Historical November–December 2005 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
SarahJane Cross and her friends love their dogs and always wanted to enter them in a dog show. Usually, dog shows are for purebreds, very talented dogs, well-trained dogs, that sort of thing, and SarahJane’s dog Dixie is ‘a mutt’ with only ordinary tricks.
But Dixie is a great dog and so are her friends’ dogs. SarahJane came up with a solution.
She created her own dog show, for herself and her friends, and any kind of dog could enter, even pretend dogs. Anybody who wanted to enter his or her dog could come.
They would have the dog show next to the playground and give ribbons for things like the “fluffiest dog,” the “biggest” and “smallest” dog, the dog “with the best trick,” “shortest tail,” “longest tail,” and “stuff like that.” Sarah planned the event for months, carefully considering how the dogs would be judged and how to be fair, what kind of refreshments, etc.
She made great flyers and checked with people to see if they were coming.
The date and location were cleared with the council office. Many special blue ribbons were made with the artwork from the flyer, so that people would remember the event. Many, many dogs and their owners attended the dog show, which was held on the summer evening of June 7, 2005.
It was too hard for SarahJane to count how many dogs there were. “All my friends came, and some people I didn’t know.” Neighbor Ellen Blay’s dog Zoe won a prize for the “ highest jump.” “She held out her hand higher than my head, and Zoe jumped up that high and she gave it a treat. Ellen’s other dog, Jake, won a prize for ‘the spottiest dog,’” said Sarah about Ellen’s Dalmatian . Sarah’s friend Gretchen Boxdorfer was very happy that her dog Trenton won “Best Dog.” Trenton had a good trick, also the longest tail, and tied for the title of spottiest dog! Gretchen had been helpful in some of the planning of the event and she was the very first person Sarah invited to attend.
There were so many different kinds of real and pretend dogs that won ribbons. “I was so happy that Dixie won a prize!” said Sarah.
The event was so much fun that SarahJane is making plans to do it again next year and invite the whole neighborhood.
Original photograph caption
Christian Boxdorfer, Gretchen Boxdorfer, Sydney Bender, Best Dogwinner Trenton, andorganizer Sarah Jane Cross. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2005.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2005_11.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.
