Sneak peek at the cover dog contestants from FidoFEST!

Drumroll please...Here are all of the smiling faces from our CityDog cover dog model search last weekend at FidoFEST. Thanks to all of the dogs and their peeps, we raised $1,000 for the Seattle Humane Society. And, thanks to Jamie Pflughoeft with Cowbelly Pet Photography for donating her time and talent to photographing the pooches.

Mark your calendar for the Kitsap Humane Society's Animal Krackers Gala!

The Kitsap Humane Society is holding the 16th Annual Animal Krackers Auction and Gala Dinner on Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 10pm at the Kitsap Conference Center, Bremerton Harborside. All proceeds go to help the thousands of homeless, abused or abandoned animals the shelter cares for annually.

The evening starts with a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a delicious dinner and exciting live auction. Auction items include baskets of pet products, jewelry, art, and wonderful vacations include a stay at a bed and breakfast, a Holland America Cruise and tickets to Disneyland. Round out the evening at the dessert auction with a chance to bid on the most mouth-watering cakes and treats you’ll ever eat. Throughout the evening visit with friends and family and with the real stars of the Kitsap Humane Society – the animals available for adoption!

To purchase tickets, donate an item for the auction, or to promote or sponsor the event, visit the Kitsap Humane Society’s website at kitsap-humane.org or contact the Events Department at (360)692-6977 x7113 or events@kitsap-humane.org.

Mutley the Horse Needs a Home

At CityDog, we love all animals and with a name like Mutley, this horse touched our heart all the more!

The Oregon Humane Society is seeking a home for Mutley, a horse rescued from a Molalla man who has since been sentenced to jail time and community service for neglecting animals.

Mutley, a mature gelding with a dark grey coat and black mane, was among four horses, three pigs, two rabbits, one duck, one dog and seven kittens removed from the rural property of Ora Mitchell in December 2008. Mutley is the last of the group to be made available for adoption, as he needed time to regain lost weight and receive treatment for medical issues. Mitchell was found guilty in May 2009 of several counts of Animal Neglect II and sentenced by the Circuit Court for Clackamas County to five days in jail, 2 years probation and 80 hours community service. He was also barred from owning domestic animals for five years.

Mutley will benefit from a patient, confident owner who wants to spend a lot of time with him. Because Mutley is a little slow to trust, he needs a home where he gets daily touching and interaction with his owners, but he is not the ideal horse for a child. Mutley will be perfectly happy as a pasture horse. He does not interact well with other geldings and should not be kept with them. He has lived with mares before, and could possibly live with one again. Once you gain his trust, Mutley does well with a halter and leads well. Riding him, however, is not a possibility at this time.

OHS does not have facilities for horses at its NE Portland shelter and instead relies on a network of volunteer foster families to provide stables, pastures and day-to-day care. The only horses made available for adoption from OHS are those rescued from owners charged with animal cruelty. OHS Humane Officers are commissioned by the Governor to investigate animal cruelty throughout the state. Their work is supported entirely by private donations to OHS.

To arrange a visit with Mutley, contact the Oregon Humane Society Investigations department at invest@oregonhumane.org

7th Annual Harbor Hounds this Saturday! Be there or be square!

Charity dog walk to raise money for the Prison Pet Partnership Program, Coalition: HUMAnE (formerly Peninsula Spay/Neuter Project), and the Gig Harbor Mid-day Rotary.

A fun, leisurely 2.0 mile walk along the waterfront in the beautiful historic fishing village of Gig Harbor. There will be a variety of entertainment, contests, demonstrations, expert advice, pet information, vendors, food, and loads of tail-wagging fun.

The 2009 Harbor Hounds will be held Saturday, September 26th, 10:00am–3:00pm!

The event takes place between Donkey Creek Park at the North end of Harborview and Skansie Brothers Park, (next to Jerisich Park). Participants will walk in between the two parks, along the waterfront. Event Directions

Awesome photos from yesterday's cover dog model search at Fremont Oktoberfest!

Well, we did it! Another fantastic cover dog model search -- this one at yesterday's Fremont Oktoberfest -- and here some pictures to prove it! Check out the contestants in all their super model glory here!

We have only one cover dog model search left -- Sunday, September 27 at FidoFEST. For more details and to pre-register your dog, click here. Woof!

This makes it all worth it...

Dear Brandie,

The West Seattle Food Bank would like to thank you for your donation of 205 pounds of dog food to our organization in August. Your donation will help the West Seattle Food Bank provide nutritious food to over 700 families and their pets every week.

So far this year the Food Bank has responded to a family in need 17,175 times. This is a 21% increase over the same period last year. Despite this dramatic increase in the number of families that turn to us for help, it is inspiring to see individuals and organizations in our community reaching out to provide a helping hand to neighbors experiencing difficult times.

Your donation will ensure that everyone in this community has access to the basic right of healthy food. This in turn will help these individuals and families lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Thank you for your generosity and dedication to community and support of the West Seattle Food Bank mission to eliminate hunger in our community.

Sincerely,
Fran Yeatts
Executive Director

Note: The credit goes to everyone who brought pet food donations to the CityDog cover dog model search at West Seattle Thriftway last month -- THANK YOU!!! To learn more about the West Seattle Food Bank go to www.westseattlefoodbank.org.

Trying to keep up

Between our Facebook page, Twitter, the CityDog Blog, our Fall issue going to press, dog events every weekend, updating the Web site and simply trying to keep up...something inevitably falls through the cracks. And, that thing would be our September e-newsletter announcing the next CityDog cover dog model search! It's THIS Sunday at 3 p.m. at Fremont Oktoberfest! I'll be sending an e-newsletter tomorrow, but wanted to get the info on our blog ASAP!

Here's the 4-1-1:

CityDog Cover Dog Model Search at Fremont Oktoberfest, Sunday, September 20, 2009, 3:00 p.m. in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. $10.00 per dog; benefits Reading With Rover.

In conjunction with this CityDog Cover Dog Model Search, you can enter your dog in The Simpson’s 20th Anniversary Santa’s Little Helper Look-Alike Contest (no extra charge to enter). The winner will appear on Q13 Fox's morning news! Cool, huh?!

To register your dog for this event, please click HERE.

All for a good cause and to have fun, we hope to see you there! Woof!

Renton’s New Dog Park Opens: Community celebrates with leash-cutting ceremony and furry-friendly activities

Good news!

The City of Renton and Renton's Unleashed Furry Friends (RUFF) will be celebrating the Grand Opening and Dedication of the Cedar River Off-Leash Dog Park Saturday, September 19, 2009. In attendance will be Renton’s Mayor, Denis Law, as well as other representatives from the City of Renton.

Following the 10 a.m. Leash-Cutting Ceremony, there will be a number of fun activities for dogs and owners alike including “Chuck-It” competitions and contests for the smallest dog, largest dog, best bark, and best look-a-like to Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin and Marley. Throughout the event, RUFF will also be collecting pet food donations for low-income seniors with pets.

Renton’s new off-leash dog park is the result of community effort that involved numerous donations of time, money, materials and equipment by local volunteers and community members. In the midst of a deep recession, RUFF was able to move the dog park from conception to completion within a four-month period thanks to the more than $45,000 in cash, materials and services that were donated.

For more information on the Cedar River Off-Leash Dog Park or the Grand Opening Dedication, please visit www.rentonoffleash.org.

When: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. – noon

Who: This event is open to the public and free of charge. Dogs and dog-owners are welcome to attend.

Location: Cedar River Off-Leash Dog Park located along the Cedar River Trail, just south of the Renton Community Center. Public parking is available on the west side of the Renton Community Center.

Celebrate Labra Day Weekend at the Oregon Humane Society

1/2 off adoption prices for all Labrador and Labrador mixes over the Labor Day Weekend!

What better way to celebrate the Labor Day weekend than with your new best friend – from the Oregon Humane Society! Adopt a Labrador or a Labrador mix dog from OHS this Labor Day weekend and receive a 50% adoption discount. On a typical day, OHS has nearly 80 adorable and adoptable dogs you can visit with, including nearly 20 Labradors and Lab mixes. Last year 1,722 people visited OHS over the Labor Day Weekend and 130 animals were adopted. Bravo!

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 4 – Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 – Note: OHS is closed on Labor Day

WHAT: 50% off adoption fees for Labrador and Labrador mixed dogs available for adoption

WHY: OHS is seeing an unusually high number of Labrador and Lab mixes at the shelter for adoption. Taz (pictured above) has been at the shelter since mid June.

WHERE: Oregon Humane Society
1067 NE Columbia Blvd., Portland, OR 97211

CALL: (503) 285-7722, for directions and adoption information

VISIT: www.oregonhumane.org for information on how to adopt and to see an updated photo list of all the pets available for adoption, including these lucky Labrador dogs!

Pictured above and available for adoption (from left to right):
Taz (#77447), Kumar (#77620), Moose (#39183) and Hemi (#76032)

Frogs & Dogs Festival

On September 19th and 20th, two-legged and four-legged animals and humans will leap, run, ride and hop to the FIRST ANNUAL FROGS & DOGS FESTIVAL. Frogs and Dogs Festival is an outdoor gathering of everything in food or beer that involves either frogs or dogs.

Located just east of the Mecca of Frog Beer (Issaquah Brewhouse), there will be doggie dancing, doggie musical chairs, celebrity dog look alike contests, a free dog wash, frogger video tournament and of course a leap frog competition.

This dog-friendly festival will feature a prime selection of Microbrews, famous dog beers and Issaquah Brewhouse's series of Frog beers. The line-up includes:

. Laughing Buddha . Boundary Bay . Georgetown . Mac & Jacks . Snoqualmie . Hair of the Dog . Flying Dog . Laughing Dog . Sea Dog . Dogfish Head . White Frog Ale . Ménage a Frog

There will be fun stuff for the kids, including a frog and dog coloring contest and games. Entry to this event is $10 and includes five taster tokens (kids, dogs and frogs get in free when accompanied by an adult).

Proceeds from the festival will benefit "Reach for the Sky July", a three week all scholarship summer arts day camp for Issaquah and the Snoqualmie Valley's underserved youths ages eight through twelve.

FROGS AND DOGS: September 19-20, 2009

HOURS:
Noon to 10 p.m. (Saturday)
Noon to 6 p.m. (Sunday)
LOCATION: 35 W. Sunset Way / Issaquah, WA 98027 (425) 557-1911

Volunteers Needed: Get in free, get a shirt and join the Issaquah Brewhouse family.

For more information visit www.rogue.com or contact Brett Joyce at (503) 241-3800 or email brett@rogue.com.