The dog days of summer may be over, but for canine owners, every day is Dog Day!
To celebrate our four-legged friends, the City of Panama City Beach is pleased to announce a new event just for pups and their people.
Paws in the Park will celebrate all things canine, and include games and competitions, a photo booth, a dunking booth, a frisbee throw, a doggie talent show, a doggie fashion show, treats for you and your pup, vendors and much more. This inaugural family-friendly fun free event is from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 1 at the Panama City Beach Conservation Park.
"This 2,900 acre park is perfect for this event," said Mayor Mark Sheldon. "Dog owners bring their pets out to the park everyday already, so many of them are familiar with this amazing facility. This is an extremely popular recreation area for joggers, walkers, bicyclists and their dogs, so we thought, why not host an event to bring the community together.
"This is a great way to celebrate diversity and friendship between us and our pets, and it brings together pet owners from all walks of life. We encourage everyone to come out and meet new friends!"
First responders and City employees from other departments will be working the event, and, as always, available to answer your questions about any City services. There will also be educational materials available of interest to dog owners, and animal rescue groups, veterinarians, and other vendors are expected to attend.
The Panama City Beach Police Department K-9s will be demonstrating their skills and you and your pet can enjoy pet-friendly or people-friendly Cookies with a Cop. The Fire Department will be manning a dunking booth as a fundraiser for an animal rescue group. Both Fire and Police personnel will be available for dunking!
There will be a one-mile trail trot for the athletes in the group, with treats along the trail, as well as a Frisbee throw and catch, with a free Frisbee for all participants. PartyPix Mobile Photo Booth will be on hand to help you and your puppy pal commemorate the event. A blessing of the pooches will take place during the event and the Optimist Club of the Beaches will be serving up hot dogs. Snow cones will be available for pups and people, compliments of Cops N Kids.
The event includes four contests with prizes. These begin at 10 a.m. under the Pavilion. Each contest is limited in the number of entries and judges' decisions are final. All dogs must be on a leash, or under owner's control if participating in talent competition. The contests include:
- Faux Paw Fashion Show - You can put on the dog in glitz and glamor, or adopt a whimsical approach. Prizes will be awarded for Best in Show, Congeniality and Honorable Mention.
- Lookalike Contest - Do you look like your dog or does your dog look like you? We'll be photographing you and your pup to see who looks the most matchy matchy!
- Doggie Talent Show - We are awed by dogs who adhere to the commands to "Speak!" "Roll Over!" and "Fetch!" But maybe your dog has an even greater talent. Come show him or her off. While we don't expect talent scouts on hand, you just never know.
- Ugly Dog Contest - Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes ugly comes across as cute!
We are still looking for vendors. If you have a pet-related business and would like to be a part of this event, please reach out to Tabatha Haddle at thaddle@beachpolice.org. Click here for a vendor form. Businesses may also donate a prize for one of our contests.
We ask that you remember to pick up after your dog, and attendance is limited to two dogs per family please. Click here for a flyer for this event.
Communications Director Debbie Ingram can be reached at (850) 233-5100, Ext. 2261.
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