West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
It’s an Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club tradition – after the pool is closed to people at season’s end, invite the community to bring their dogs to swim, as a fundraiser for AHSTC swim teams. Today was the fifth and final session, and Jamie Kinney shared photos:
Whether the dogs dove from the board, or jumped from the deck, Jamie reports a great time was had by all:
You can see many more of Jamie’s photos from today by going here.
8:09 PM: Just received two notes about this, including this one from Carrie:
Just witnessed a large white possible labradoodle hit by white SUV at graham & California ave in West Seattle. The dog took off running and we lost sight of him at California & Fauntleroy. If you’re in the area please keep an eye out for this guy!
9:39 PM: We have since received and published a lost-dog listing from Seaview and Carrie says that might be the same dog.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON NOTE: Izzy’s owner Nancy has updated the aforementioned lost-dog listing to say that Izzy has been found and is home!
It’s the news that dog people await every fall – the chance for their pups to go swimming at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club! The photo and announcement are from Cori Roed:
Dog Days at the Arb!
It’s time to bring your dog for a swim …
11003 31st Ave SW
Thank you for driving slowly on 31st!
Tuesday, Sept 19th through Friday, Sept 22nd, 5-7 pm
Saturday, Sept 23rd 11 am-1 pmDogs in the pool
Owners must remain at the pool and maintain some semblance of control
Dogs must be healthy, up to date on shots, and well socialized to people and other dogsNO PEOPLE IN THE POOL! ~ NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY
Please come prepared to scoop your dog’s poop!
Running on the pool deck is encouraged : )$10 donation per dog for the day or $25 per dog for an all-access pass is very much appreciated!
Your donations allow our self-funded teams to purchase equipment while keeping team fees affordable.
Thank you for supporting Otter athletes!
*****NOTE that this event is AFTER the facilities are closed for the season*****
(WSB file photo from past CityDog Magazine Cover Dog Model Search)
Imagine your dog on a magazine cover. Every year, local dogs get to compete for a chance, thanks to CityDog Magazine, whose West Seattle-based founder Brandie Ahlgren shares the tail-wagging news about what’s happening this Saturday:
Unleash your dog’s inner supermodel at the 12th annual CityDog Cover Dog Model Search. Big dogs, little dogs, young dogs, old dogs… ALL dogs are welcome to ‘walk the catwalk’ for the chance to be on the cover of CityDog Magazine. And, because CityDog thinks all dogs are supermodels, each and every canine contestant will get their photo in the magazine!
It’s part of the West Seattle Thriftway Dog Days of Summer: Saturday, August 26, 2017, from noon to 2 p.m.; $10 per dog to benefit the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic. Simply come by the CityDog booth at West Seattle Thriftway any time between noon and 2 and we will take your pooch’s picture for the magazine as well as for the chance to be on the cover! All proceeds go to a great cause, the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic (if you would like to bring food, bedding and supplies to donate to Doney, please do…every bit helps)!
If you’ve brought your dog to this in the past – note that while it’s historically been on a Sunday, this year, it’s on Saturday. (West Seattle Thriftway, a WSB sponsor, is at 4201 SW Morgan.)
11:34 AM: Until 3 pm, you’ll find Gwen and Muriel at 36th SW and SW Dakota [map], selling treats and collecting donations for the Seattle Humane Society for the fifth year in a row. You have three ways to help – buy some of their baked goods; donate items for the animals (dog/cat food, wet or dry; toys; new scratching posts); donate money for the Humane Society (cash or checks). The girls have done this every year since they were Schmitz Park 4th-graders; this fall, they’ll be Madison Middle School 8th-graders. (Thanks to Gwen’s mom Andrea for the photo taken as today’s event got under way.)
8 PM: Andrea sent this update on the results:
Heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people who came out to support the bake sale today, and to the West Seattle Blog for promoting it.
Through the sale, these wonderful young women raised over $532 for Seattle Humane Society, as well as over 100 pounds of dry food, dozens of cans of wet food, and many many animal toys.
Thanks so much for everyone’s support!
Congratulations to Muriel, Gwen, and the beneficiaries of their hard work!
Karen and Jennifer wanted you to know about a scare they had today with their dog Grover:
We just had quite an experience I want to share so others are aware of this potential issue. I was walking our dog Grover this morning and he found something small and ate it. Pretty common for dogs to find random things on a walk. Grover has found cheese, hamburger, etc. This time, it looked like a small piece of paper and I could not get him to spit it out. We continued our walk.
We got home and he seemed fine. After about 30-45 mins, I ran an errand to pick up groceries at Amazon Fresh. When I returned home, there was vomit on the ground and Grover was very unresponsive. His pupils were dilated, he could hardly sit up and was scared of any movement near his face or head. We had just been to the vet last week and knew that all was ok with him. After a few minutes of this behavior and him actually falling over on the couch, I called Lien Animal Clinic and they took him immediately.
Apparently, he ingested cannabis. They stated there has been an increase in this happening. We now assume what he ate was the end of a joint. He has been admitted for the day and is getting fluids to make sure he does not dehydrate and to work the cannabis through him. It was terrifying to see this happen. Please be aware that legal weed leads to more chances of critters finding it. The act of tossing a spent joint on the ground can have impact. Just wanted to share this so others know this can happen.
Big thanks to Dr. Jody Zawacki and the team at Lien for being the best!
Looking around before publishing this, we saw many references suggesting cannabis is not automatically toxic to dogs; much has been written about therapeutic use, which would involve controlled circumstances and doses. So the main point of this is, think of Grover and other pets before you toss anything unconsumed – which of course goes for other intoxicants and medicines too.
(Photo courtesy New York Dog Film Festival)
Another special movie event to look forward to this summer: The second annual New York Dog Film Festival will stop at West Seattle’s Admiral Theater on Sunday, August 6th. And part of the proceeds will benefit West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation. Here’s the announcement F3 shared today:
Following its overwhelming success last year in Seattle, and its national tour to 10 cities in 2016, the NY Dog Film Festival will be traveling to 48 cities this year. The 2nd Annual NY Dog Film Festival™ is returning to Seattle on August 6, 2017, at the Historic Admiral Theater, with two programs of completely new films at 3 PM and 5 PM. Dogs will be welcome in the theater, once again delighting the avid dog lovers of Seattle and proving the Festival’s own mission of showing how remarkable the bond is between dogs and their people.
Perfect for dog lovers of all ages, the NY Dog Film Festival™ will feature two programs, each of which features a different medley of documentary, animated and live-action short canine-themed films from around the world. The films illuminate human-canine love and are uplifting, with happy outcomes. Each program runs approximately 70 minutes.
3:00 PM – “Outdoor Adventure with Dogs” (77 minutes)
5:00 PM – “Who Rescued Whom?” (74 minutes)NY Dog Film Festival™ Founder/ Director Tracie Hotchner, a well-known pet wellness advocate and author of The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know, will bring local dog aficionados together with their dogs as “their movie dates” to share a communal experience of watching short films that celebrate the remarkable bond between people and dogs.
Tickets are $12 for humans and $5 for dogs (service dogs are free). A portion of every ticket will go to Furry Faces Foundation. Purchase advance tickets online by going here.
The Admiral is at 2343 California SW.
Something new at West Seattle’s only off-leash area, at Westcrest Park! Thanks to Kevin McMahan for the photos and report:
Aidan McMahan, along with other Scouts from his West Seattle Troop 282, installed three agility structures (Saturday) at Westcrest Dog Park as a part of his Eagle Project.
The structures are now open for business.
Special thanks to Westcrest Off-Leash Area, Coalition for Off-Leash Areas (C.O.L.A.), Alki Lumber, and Seattle Parks for their assistance in making this happen.
Need dog day camp, grooming, boarding to the south? Camp Crockett (WSB sponsor) has joined the parade of West Seattle businesses expanding into Burien. The announcement is from CC’s Vanessa Crevling:
We are proud to announce the Grand Opening of our second Camp Crockett location. We now offer day camp to pups in Burien!
This morning, at 7 am, the doors to our new camp officially opened! Our Burien camp is located at 626 SW 154th St., Burien. Telephone number is 206.708.1178.
Our new day camp offers 6,000 square feet of outdoor play area where the pups can run around and enjoy themselves. We also offer an indoor/outdoor play area with lots of cushions for tired campers and plenty of toys for everyone!
Grooming and boarding are two more services our new Burien location also offers.
It’s been two and a half years since Camp Crockett opened its West Seattle location in North Delridge.
With the temperature expected to go into the 80s tomorrow, we’ve received notes from several readers worried about people endangering their pets by leaving them in cars, and asking us to share this seasonal reminder. One sent along this link with the numbers, including: “On an 85-degree day, it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of your car to reach 102 degrees.” Leaving the windows open an inch or two will NOT prevent the interior from getting dangerously hot.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:04 PM: Yes, the no-pets-on-the-beach law is enforced at Alki and other waterfront parks sometimes – and at least one citation recipient is unhappy about it. We took that photo this morning after someone called to tell us about the sign. A first-time violation will cost you $54, according to this list of city fines, which has the reminder that it’s “unlawful to permit any dog to run at large in any park, except in designated off-leash areas, OR unlawful to permit any dog to enter any public beach, swimming area or wading area, pond, fountain, stream, or organized athletic area.” We’re checking to see if Seattle Animal Shelter (aka “animal control”) has any stats on how many tickets it’s issued so far this year.
3:16 PM: Perhaps a coincidence, but while our information request to SAS has not yet been acknowledged, we received this news release from the city minutes ago:
Spring is blossoming and hatching in Seattle, and now is a particularly important time to ensure that immature wildlife have their best opportunity to flourish in the Northwest. Because of this, the Seattle Animal Shelter will be conducting emphasis patrols on all saltwater beaches in the city.
Dogs are not allowed on any of Seattle’s public saltwater beaches, whether leashed or unleashed. This law helps to protect the fragile ecosystem along our shorelines. Marine mammals, such as seal pups who are typically born in April, use the city’s beaches to rest and warm themselves. Shore birds also frequent our beaches. Wildlife that interact with dogs are less likely to reach adulthood.
Uniformed animal services officers will be patrolling city parks with a focus on saltwater beaches and may issue citations to violators.
If you would like to report Seattle beaches where dogs are frequently seen, please submit a service request here. You can also contact the shelter directly by calling 206-386-PETS (7387) or by visiting seattleanimalshelter.org.
3:44 PM: Our request for stats has been answered by Kara Main-Hester at Seattle Animal Shelter:
The Park District team started in 2016. Since the start of the program, they have written 905 violations and conducted 1002 patrols. (Data: 1/1/2016 – 3/31/2017). During that time, they wrote 29 citations at Alki parks (Alki Beach Park + Alki Playground) and 34 at Lincoln Park.
Just got this announcement that Admiral Veterinary Hospital (2231 California SW) is closing after today:
After 30 years, Dr. Don Shaffer has retired (a little earlier than expected – he had originally planned to retire in the fall). Cheryl, a vet assistant who has been at Admiral since 1989, wants to let everyone know that she’s been immensely happy to know and serve all the many cats & dogs (and one turtle) who have come in for treatment. Also, the many, many good people who are their parents. The office will still be open on a limited basis for clients to pick up copies of their records (for at least the first half of April). Please call for coordination of pick-up times at 206-937-4940 (please leave a message).
Ruth, who sent the notice, says she and Pam are retiring; Cheryl will be taking care of her grandson.
The pink dots are where the city has off-leash dog parks now – in West Seattle, for example, Westcrest Park is the only one. Will more be added – and if so, where? A key step toward deciding that could come next Thursday night, when the Seattle Parks Board discusses, and might vote on, the draft People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan.
You can see documents for the meeting here – including the points that board members are being asked to decide on Thursday night, spelled out in this “decision agenda” memo. It includes proposed changes to the draft plan, and also asks the board to affirm whether new off-leash areas would only be fenced sites – ruling out “leash-optional trails.” And the board will be asked to affirm the plan’s proposed policies for regulating professional dog walkers if they use off-leash areas – with a $100 annual license and requirements for certification if they seek to bring more than three dogs to an OLA after the first two years following passage of the plan.
Ahead of next Thursday’s meeting, the group Citizens for Off-Leash Areas has been circulating a survey asking for more suggestions for “pilot” off-leash spots – find it here. The survey’s introduction says Seattle Parks asked the group to come up with more possible locations. We asked Parks if that was indeed how they were soliciting site suggestions, rather than putting out a call to the public. Spokesperson Christina Hirsch replied:
When the final People, Dogs and Parks Plan is released in March, it will outline a process for the public to submit applications for off-leash locations. This process will be open to all, including groups and individual residents. Seattle Parks and Recreation will form a committee to review the applications and the Superintendent will make the final decision. This process will go through a public involvement process and community outreach.
COLA has worked in collaboration with SPR during the Off-Leash Area Master Plan process. COLA came to SPR with a list of off-leash location recommendations and we suggested that they develop a more comprehensive and geographically balanced list. It appears they are developing that revised list by soliciting community feedback.
COLA’s recommendations will go along with submissions from the community application process.
In the meantime, Thursday night’s board meeting considering the strategic plan is open to the public – 6:30 pm January 12th, at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.).
Expect to need help wrapping holiday gifts before Christmas? This year, you can get some help – Furry Faces Foundation is reviving its “Wrap It Up” fundraiser, newly added to our West Seattle Holiday Guide – or, if you would like to help others, you can volunteer:
Wrap It Up! With Furry Faces Foundation!
December 24th
Beveridge Place Pub
6413 California Ave SW
12 pm-6 pmHave your Christmas gifts wrapped while watching the Seahawks game!
The elves of Furry Faces Foundation are looking forward to wrapping your gifts in splendor and uniqueness! We have gift wrap, bows, tape, ribbon, garland, pine cones, pipe cleaners, name tags, and more! It’s up to you how much you would like to donate for the gift wrapping with 100% of the proceeds going directly to helping animals stay with their people.
If you would like to give your time to help wrap, please email us at furryfaces@hotmail.com; or call 206-321-4729.
Please note that Beveridge Place Pub is 21+.
Go have fun without leaving your dog at home OR in the car! Just announced:
Furry Faces Foundation Announces our first ever Mutts ‘n Martinis… a yappy hour.
Get your cocktail attitude on and bring your dog! Local guest bartenders each feature their signature drink; delish noshes; dog bakery truck; dog games; two rescue groups; a dog ruff-le; silent auction; and more. You don’t have to bring a dog to attend…you just need to love dogs like we do.
Date: October 15th
Time: 4 pm – 7 pm
Location: Stay! Doggie Daycare & Boarding, 10027 14th Ave SWGuest Bartenders from
-Smarty Pants Garage
-Whisky West
-OutWestTwo Local Rescue Groups
-Animal Aid & Rescue Foundation
-Emerald City Pet RescueSpecial Guests
-Cascade Heights Veterinary Center
-The Seattle Barkery – a food truck for dogs
Limited number of tickets, so buy yours ASAP. Dog tickets are $5 – buy here. Human tickets are $20 – buy here. If you’d rather buy in person, go to Pet Elements (6511 California SW), Wash Dog (6400 California SW), or Stay! (10027 14th SW).
P.S. Furry Faces says this is an indoor/outdoor event; ID required for humans “even if you are 95 years young”; and “dogs must be spay or neutered, dog-friendly, and up to date on vaccines, in order to partake.”
One last reminder in case this is an issue about which you feel strongly: Tomorrow night is the public hearing for the draft citywide People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan. The citywide Board of Park Commissioners is presiding over the public hearing, 6:30 pm at Miller Community Center on Capitol Hill (330 19th Ave. E.). Here are the details, as first published in August on the Parks Department’s Parkways website; we first wrote about the draft plan when it was made public back in June, including the improvements it recommends for West Seattle’s only off-leash park, Westcrest Park in Highland Park.
P.S. If you can’t make it to the public hearing, you can comment via e-mail – send your thoughts to Rachel.Acosta@Seattle.Gov by October 14th.
(WSB photo from 2015)
The only West Seattle swimming event of its kind is back next week at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club! In case you haven’t seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar yet, here’s the heads-up:
Bring your furry friends for a swim in the AHSTC pool during the week after the club closes.
11003 31st Ave SW
Tuesday-Friday, September 20-23, 5-7 pm
Saturday, September 24, 11 am-1:00 pmWe have some new treats in store for the pups this year!
This is a fundraiser for AHSTC teams used to purchase big ticket items and helps us to keep our team fees down. Suggested donation is $10/dog for one day or $25/dog for a pass and come as many days as you want! Be sure to invite your friends!
Basic details: Dogs must be healthy, up to date on shots and well socialized. Humans are responsible for their dog’s behavior (and poop). Running on the pool deck is encouraged! No people in the poo,l but you will get wet so dress accordingly.
Thank you for supporting AHSTC teams!
If you haven’t heard about this event before – this is after the last swim of the year in the pool for PEOPLE, and before the pool gets its post-season cleaning, and again, it’s dogs-only, no people. Here’s our report from last year’s event.
Thanks to Andrea for the photo of Gwen and Muriel toward the start of their fourth annual Seattle Humane Society-benefiting bake sale – a tradition they started as fourth-graders! – now at the halfway point (scheduled to continue until 3 pm). Even if you’re not up for home-baked treats, you are also welcome to stop by and donate cat and/or dog food and/or toys, or $/checks for the Humane Society. Find them at 36th/Dakota (map).
5:44 PM UPDATE: From Andrea:
Huge thanks to the West Seattle community for their awesome support today! These dedicated young ladies raised $457 for the Seattle Humane Society through today’s bake sale!!
(WSB file photo, Westcrest Off-Leash Area)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Months later than first promised, the draft plan for Seattle Parks‘ off-leash areas is finally out today. See it here.
The process leading to this has been under way for almost a year – we mentioned a survey last July, and several local community councils included discussions at their meetings earlier this year.
We’ve just taken a quick read through the draft plan, and here are some of the points:
*No specific new off-leash areas are proposed
*A process for adding new OLAs “gradually” is outlined
*In the meantime, the city proposes spending up to $1.3 million to improve the 14 existing OLAs, through funding from the voter-approved Park District
Here’s the outline of the process suggested for adding new OLAs:
For each proposed OLA, except those involving private developers, SPR will convene a committee including dog advocates, environmental advocates, a veterinarian or animal behaviorist, community members, and SPR staff to recommend to the Superintendent whether the proposed OLA should move forward.
1 Adding OLAs through new park/redevelopment processes. SPR will specifically include OLAs as an element
for consideration in the planning process when SPR embarks on the development or redevelopment process
for new and existing parks, along with any other suggested use that arises during the process.2 As SPR develops land-banked park sites, SPR will examine their use for new OLAs as part of the park
development process.3 SPR will continue to consider adding new OLAs by request of the community, whether through
Neighborhood Matching Fund processes or other community processes.4 Support groups such as COLA in developing OLAs on non-park public land suitable for OLAs, by convening
the committee described above and assisting with design.5 Encourage groups like COLA to work with private property owners to provide OLAs on unused property.
6 Encourage private developers, through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection, to include
OLAs as part of prospective developments.There will still remain the issue of development costs for any of these alternatives, but those can be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
The document says adding a one-acre off-leash area is estimated to cost just under $1 million.
As for the nature of improvements/additions, the draft plan includes these recommendations:
Based on the potential for conflict between leashed and unleashed dogs and between dogs and other park activities, limited enforcement resources, and feedback from other jurisdictions, SPR recommends continuing to offer fenced OLAs only.
*Based on the potential for conflict between leashed and unleashed dogs and between dogs and other trail users, the associated need for more maintenance and enforcement and the potential for disturbing animal and bird habitat, SPR does not recommend designated leash-optional trails.
*Based on the protection of many of Seattle’s beaches by the Marine Reserves Rule and the potential for disturbing animal, marine and bird habitat, SPR recommends against establishing any more OLAs with beach access.
We’re still reading through the rest of the plan and will add anything else of note in the next hour or so (again, see the full draft plan here). Geographically, it notes that a “small area of (north West Seattle)” is one of the parts of the city that does NOT have an off-leash area within 2.5 miles; West Seattle’s one and only OLA is at Westcrest Park in Highland Park, opened in 1997 and described in the draft plan as the second-busiest off-leash area in the city.
The Westcrest analysis starts on page 145 of the report and recommends these improvements:
1. Reinstall ADA parking sign and ADA path in small and shy dog area.
2. Upgrade fencing to protect natural areas.
3. Replace woodchips with other surfacing and fill in ruts.
4. Restore eroded slope.
5. Pave service road from the north lot entrance to the inside dumpster.
WHAT’S NEXT: The process for commenting on the draft plan is outlined here. A public hearing is set for July 28th in Northgate (that same link has full details), and the Seattle Parks Board is scheduled to vote at its September 8th meeting. Parks Superintendent Jesús Aguirre has the final say on the plan.
(Photo courtesy Michelle Taylor: Taproot students attend to a bag dispenser in Fauntleroy Park)
What Fauntleroy Creek/Watershed volunteers did in 2004 and 2008, students from Taproot School are doing now, according to watershed/creek steward Judy Pickens:
Continuing concern about pet waste left in Fauntleroy Park prompted students at Taproot School to take on the 2016 Poop Study.
The study documents the number and location of pet waste along a segment of trail in Fauntleroy Park that’s popular with dog walkers. After a baseline count earlier this spring, the students are reaching out to dog owners with information about why picking up after their pet is important and making compliance easy with free bags.
Located in the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse Community Center, Taproot School makes almost daily use of the park as an extension of classroom learning for its 27 (K-5) students. Run in 2004 and again in 2008, the study initiated by the Fauntleroy Watershed Council aims to reduce the level of fecal coliform bacteria that Fauntleroy Creek conveys into Puget Sound.
Students will do a second count in July and a third in September, then compile their report, with an emphasis on what more they recommend doing to get dog walkers to scoop.
Tomorrow, you can help four animal-advocacy groups in one place at one fun event: Catsino, 2-6 pm Sunday at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW). Just-for-fun game tables are always the main attraction, but you will find more than casino-style games – for example, organizer Teri Ensley from Furry Faces Foundation tells us, one table will feature Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) dealing the famous Kickstarter-launched game Exploding Kittens. And at the silent auction, here are some of the items you can bid for:
· West 5: One year Mac ‘n’ Cheese Certificate
· West City Kitchen: $50 Gift Certificate
· Two T-shirts from Mariners Spring Training
· Fairmont Olympic Hotel: Afternoon Tea for Two
· Autographed Sounders Mini-soccer ball (super cool)!
· Bad Ass Barbecue
Ticket info and other details can be found here.
The city’s moving toward a new proposal for dogs in Seattle parks – and this Thursday night, the Seattle Parks Board of Commissioners will hear how Parks leadership is leaning.
That briefing document prepared for the Parks Board hints at what might be in the proposed People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan, due out soon for public comment. It’s been a subject of discussion in several community meetings we’ve covered recently, starting with the Delridge District Council‘s meeting last November.
For one, the document says Superintendent Jesús Aguirre is NOT expected to call for “unfenced, (certain) hours-only” offleash periods in parks. It also says he’ll recommend limiting the number of dogs that can be brought to a park to three per person. And he’ll recommend that development of additional off-leash areas go “through regular new park development and/or existing park redevelopment processes.”
One more note from the briefing paper: “Beginning this month, there will be a two-person team, one Animal Control staff and one Parks and
Recreation staff, patrolling parks with the sole purpose of enforcing leash and scoop laws.”
The draft plan is now expected to be made public next month, with public meetings in April and May, and a final plan in June. Meantime, the board meeting this Thursday starts at 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.).
Back on February 6th, we brought you the story of West Seattleite Marcia Lyons and her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Liberty, getting ready to head to the legendary Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the Masters Agility Championship preceding it. We noticed in today’s results that Liberty had received “select” honors in her breed category. So we e-mailed Marcia to ask for an update:
It has been an amazing but incredibly busy time in New York. Here’s a recap of the last couple days and Libby’s exploits at Westminster.
I am crazy proud of my little Liberty and her performance this weekend at Westminster. On Saturday she ran in the Masters Agility Championship. She ran well enough in the two daytime runs to make it into the top 10 of her height class (16″) which meant she made it into the final Championship that night. It was quite the spectacle, as it was televised nationally on Fox Sports. I was also one of the few selected to wear a special wireless microphone as I ran so they could hear everything I was saying to Libby as we ran. In the final round she ran beautifully and one of the fastest times of the evening, but unfortunately we made 2 errors that added time penalties so we didn’t win. But she was a winner in my book, the way she gave her all as she ran and held up through an incredibly crazy busy day.
To cap her agility success, today she displayed the beauty side of things to compliment her athletic achievements. In the dog show she went into the breed ring for Conformation, in the “Best of Breed” class. It was quite thrilling when the judge awarded her the “Select Female” prize, meaning she was his second highest pick out of the females. We are now heading home tired and happy with some lovely ribbons.
It was an amazing weekend for the little Toller from West Seattle.
We almost missed Liberty on the winners’ list because she was listed by her official name: CH Aqueus Let Freedom Ring CD BN RE AX AXJ OF CGC.
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