Wednesday, February 13, 2008

It has been a while, but we have been busy!

There is always something new and exciting going on with A Dog's Life Memphis. We recently participated the Mardi Dogs Parade in Germantown. Check out this article to see how much fun we had!

Below is the text directly from the article- we even were quoted in the paper!

Pets, owners dress up for Germantown parade, fun
By Natalie Higdon Special to The Commercial AppealSunday, February 3, 2008

The 60-degree weather was just one of the many reasons Germantown residents and their dogs flocked to Cameron Brown Park on Saturday afternoon. The Mardi Dogs Parade also gave pets and their owners the chance to dress up and socialize.

"We're enjoying participating and seeing all the dogs," said Bridget Fitzpatrick of A Dog's Life pet-sitting. "It's nice to be around so many other dog enthusiasts."

Nichole Batson, 14, of Germantown and her miniature poodle Gracie dress up as Dorothy and the Tin Poodle during the Mardi Dogs Parade at Cameron Brown Park in Germantown Saturday.
In costumes and traditional Mardi Gras colors of yellow, green and purple. The Germantown Police Department also was on hand to demonstrate how their narcotics dogs work.

"It's been a great turnout this year, and I think us being here is great for community relations," said Lawson Horton, reserve police officer. "It gives people a chance to see a part of what we do that they don't normally see."

Marcie Cohen, who made a Campbell's Soup outfit for her mastiff, Lilly, to wear in the "Tickle the Funny Bone" category of the costume contest, said the event has not only been fun for everyone, but also educational for some of the families.

"I think it's great for kids to learn etiquette around dogs, like learning to ask before petting, and it's also a great opportunity for the dogs to get socialized."

Gennie Gieselmann just adopted her dachshund mix "Scooter" two months ago, and even though he's still a little insecure, Gieselmann said she hopes entering him in the Mardi Dogs King costume contest will help him feel a little better about himself.

"We wanted to take him to an event to help him be a little more friendly and a little bit more comfortable around people and other dogs," she said.
Rebecca and Jeff Schneider brought their sons -- Sam, 4 and Evan, 9 months -- to observe the festivities.

"We just wanted to bring the kids to see some dogs because we don't have a dog," Rebecca said.
In addition to vendors offering services, tables were set up for rescue groups such as the Germantown Animal Shelter.

"We want to bring awareness and hopefully get some dogs adopted," said Karen Reynolds, volunteer at the Germantown Shelter. "This is just a really fun event for the animals and their owners."