Pets and owners rock Woofstock 2007

Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe

Around noon on Saturday, Oct. 6, a procession of dog lovers and their four-legged friends took to the streets in a great jingling of collars and wagging of tails. Passersby grinned at the puppy parade as it marched a half-mile loop around town, finally returning to the town green for the rest of Woofstock 2007.

An annual event organized by the Addison County Humane Society, Woofstock is a celebration of both canines and community. It is centered on a half-mile walk that serves to raise awareness and is a major fundraiser, as the walkers get friends and family to sponsor them and their furry companions. This year, Woofstock raised more than $3,000 from the walk alone, but Christine Blakeney, Addison County Humane Society Board President, knows that number can always be higher.

"We always need more turn-out," said Blakeney. "We had online giving, but not that many people registered there."

Another board member, Elaine Cissi '86, pointed to some possible reasons people may have decided not to come.

"It's advertised a lot, but there's a little bit of cause fatigue and a little bit of donor fatigue and a little bit of involvement fatigue," said Cissi.

If the number of attendees was lacking, their dedication was not. Ginny Vantier, the top fundraiser in the adult category, received $1,070, and 10-year-old Megann Watkins raised $303, making her the top child fundraiser and winning her an enormous stuffed dog. Watkins came with her family, including Comet, a Border-collie spaniel mix they adopted from the shelter a little less than a year ago. Many of the dogs in attendance were also former shelter dogs. Like many other human attendees, Watkins hopes to volunteer at the shelter when she is old enough. She said she has been coming to Woofstock for several years now, and this year, having a dog of her own motivated her even more.

"[Comet] needs socialization - he's kind of a chicken - and [the walk] is fun," Watkins said. "I [raised money] so that the Humane Society has enough money to care for other dogs' medicine and food."

When it first began 18 years ago in Bristol, Vt., Woofstock was not much more than a walk around town. Since then, it has evolved into more of a festival. This year, attendees were treated to live music by Cooper and Lavoie as they wandered from booth to booth, dogs in tow. Some groups, like Addison County against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Beagles of New England States (BONES) and the Green Mountain Animal Defenders, were there to provide information and spread awareness about a wide array of animal- and wellness-related issues. Other organizations, like the Green Mountain Dog Obedience Group, Doggone Style by Pilar and Creature Features Pet Supplies, were there to sell everything from sparkly hairclips for long-haired dogs to all-natural dog treats.

The booths accompanied other festival regulars like a bake sale and face-painting, but particular to the canine theme were the agility-testing obstacle course, the doggie water park (several kiddie pools with rubber ducks in them) and the Dig Like a Dog game where children could dig through bark mulch to find numbered cards that corresponded to certain prizes. All of these additions were well-received by dogs and people alike, but Blakeney thinks next year will be even better once some internal organization issues are worked out.

"I hope we make it bigger next year," Blakeney said. "We're actually without an executive director now, so the board, which is all volunteers with full-time jobs, had to organize this."

Board treasurer Deborah Laframboise played a huge role in running and setting up the event, but her job may have been less stressful had she known what people would enjoy most about Woofstock. The opportunity to raise funds as well as awareness was a big draw for most people, but what kept people at the festival well after the walk was the sense of canine community more than the organized activities.

"Dog people, they're really dedicated, and I think that they love an opportunity to come out and show support as well as walk," Cissi said. "But I think any time dogs have an opportunity to be around other dogs, supervised, is great. If you look around, everybody's really getting along. Lots of sniffing, but I think it's nice as a social opportunity for them."

The dogs were not the only ones to make new acquaintances, either. Every pair of dogs that pulled at their leashes towards each other brought their owners with them, starting conversations between people that might not have happened otherwise and showing humans a thing or two about breaking social barriers.