Baseball Gone to the Dogs (Guest Post by Emily)
What a great time! I had the chance to go to the Bark in the Park event at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio on September, 15, 2009. It was so much fun to see over 500 dogs and their pet parents enjoying a traditional baseball game! The evening festivities included:
- Pre-game pet parade on the track surrounding the field.
- Meet breeders and learn about many of your favorite breeds.
- Participate in pre-game dog contests and win great prizes.
- Shop the pet expo in the Dog Zone, located in the Fan Zone!
- Have your photo taken with your dog in front of a special Reds Backdrop (requires donation).
- First 10,000 pet owners received a pet bowl, courtesy of Eukanuba.
We arrived just before the parade started. The dogs were all decked out in their Reds gear which included small items like a bandana or hat to a full blown Reds dress or outfit. One dog had even received a pawdicure before the game and had red nails! The parade was followed by the Pet Butler for clean up. They were carrying a banner with a catchy phrase – “Got poop? We scoop!”. I had that phrase in my head all night!
I had a chance to visit all the booths in the “Dog Zone”. There were Meet the Breed tables that include Boxer, Dachshund, Petit Basset Griffon, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever. I stopped to meet two beautiful Petit Basset Griffons and was so impressed with their personalities. I had never met this breed in person….they are adorable dogs! The vendors included local shelters and retailers from the area. We weren’t able to bring Murphy with us because the dog seats were sold out. So we decided to bring home a surprise for him. I ended up with a really cool toy that that claims to be virtually destructible. I’m curious to see how it holds up in our house!
The first “fetch” was retrieved by Anderson, a Labrador Retriever from Canine Companions for Independence. Our fearless Eukanuba Marketing Director threw out the first pitch to start the game. He has a great right arm! The game was tied when we left around the 7th inning. Our two-legged munchkin was ready to go home to see her “Murmee”. I saw that the Reds won 5-4. I can’t help but think that all the “Paw Power” in the stands helped bring them to a victory.
India
When we arrived home, Murphy & India were sad that they couldn’t go to the game with us. We had picked up a Eukanuba bandana for them. So they each took turns wearing it and posing for the camera. We promised to try to get doggy tickets for them next year. Overall, a great time was had by everyone!!
Murphy
