Fairbanks folks brought their dogs and joined other people and dogs at the FREE RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP DAY (RDOD) EVENTS at Allridge Field (the temporary dog park at 25th Street and Wilson, near 24th and Cowles), from 11 AM until 2 PM.  The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published a wonderful article (Citizen Canine) summarizing the day's events in the Sunday September 12, 2004 edition.  If you agree that this is an excellent article, please fill out the News-Miner's News Story Critique Form or send an email letter the Fairbanks New-Miner to applaud the effort and encourage more excellent coverage of positive animal-related events.

News-Miner Reporter Daniel Rice interviews GRRF President and Certified Trainer, Susan Sampson.  

 

 

Participants at the Fairbanks 2004 RDOD greet each other

Responsible Dog Ownership Day is a national event created by the American Kennel Club in 2003 (see the AKC article, 2004 National Responsible Dog Ownership Day), to celebrate dogs and the benefits (for people, dogs, and the community) of being responsible dog owners.  For the second consecutive year, Fairbanks Dog Park, Inc. hosted RDO
Day in Fairbanks - thanks especially to hard working coordinator Janet
Brown (the Fairbanks Dog Park recording secretary). 

Here Come the Dogs:  Two very happy dogs and their owners make a bee-line to the agility course. Note hazy conditions due to wildfire smoke.

Peggy Beagle of ABC K9 Fun (Peggy is also the Fairbanks Dog Park Vice President) set up a wildly popular agility course that any dog could play on for FREE.  

Two boys take a Golden Retriever through the agility course.

Fairbanks Dog Park, Inc.  had a table selling incredible home made dog cookies, plus t-shirts and the new, embroidered baseball caps. The always popular Fairbanks Dog Park  Cookbook was also for sale(with this cookbook you can make your own incredible dog cookies and other dog snacks at home!).

Dog and Owner entering the Dog Park.  Note Fairbanks Dog Park booths set up in background with Janet Brown (in black, back to camera) and Candace O'Connor (brown jacket) working hard!

 

Golden Retriever Rescue of Fairbanks (GRRF-that's us!) again administered the Canine Good Citizenship Test - a basic test  of good doggie manners.  Check out our Photo Essay on the CGC test (coming soon)! 

Thanks to a lot of hard work by GRRF's Volunteer Coordinator, Hillary Midgley lots of folks were on hand to set up and take down the booth and help the public. 

GRRF Volunteer Coordinator Hillary with her rescue dog, Shelby attending to last minute details at the start of the day.

The day was a typical, rather cool Fairbanks September day (except we still had smoke from the fires, making it even a tad cooler).  Therefore, when Peggy Kuryla showed up with a warm chocolate cake, hot coffee, hot cocoa, and hot tea water she was greeted with cheers from the volunteers and public alike!

GRRF's Peggy Kuryla (facing the camera) with her golden, Shania, helped conduct the CGC Test.

Rebecca Robinson's perfect dogs resting in the GRRF tent at the end of the day.

Tammy Turner having a hard time not interacting with Maggie the poodle during the CGC 3 minute supervised separation test.

Thanks to the following GRRF volunteers for making the 2004 RDOD GRRF events a success:

     Susan Sampson, Certified Trainer and CGC Test Lead Evaluator

     Hillary Midgley, Volunteer Coordinator and CGC Test Administrator

     Susan Flora, CGC Test Trainee Evaluator and event photographer

     Tammy Turner (2nd Lt, Eielson-Go Air Force!), CGC  3 Minute Test

                          Evaluator and all-around help

     Rebecca Robinson, CGC Test Administrator, GRRF Booth sales, and

                               owner of 2 perfect dogs!

     Peggy Kuryla, Hot and Warm Refreshments provider, CGC test assistant

                        along with her golden, Shania.

     Nancy Sisinyak and golden retriever, Opie, Booth sales help, CGC Test

                        assistants

     Deb Brown, Booth sales, CGC Test Administrator, and photography

     Bobbie Jo Murphy, Booth and CGC Test help.

Just before the event, volunteer Craig Bakalar was sidelined with injuries.  He was with us in spirit, though, and his 2003 park fence mending job is still holding up.  Also, our other Lead CGC certified evaluator, Kristy Long, had to be elsewhere.  We missed both of these key volunteers but they'll be back bringing more CGC Testing and positive training methods for all dogs!

Thanks everyone.  This was a truly fun day and we got to do it with our dogs!