Slobberfest 2009

Last Saturday we celebrated our Beach version of the annual Woofstock-the largest outdoor dog festival in North America.

Our canine community celebrates Slobberfest. This dog-day afternoon is presented by Center 55, our local community center. It's a fund-raiser in support of the many excellent services they offer for children, seniors and families.

The first year I attended this gathering, it was held in Kew Park. In my opinion, a venue better suited to this celebration.

Now, for the second year, it's held parallel to the boardwalk, on the grassy area in front of the old boathouse, also referred to by some as the open-air building. The only pro I can think of for using this space is the accessibility to the off-leash area, directly across the boardwalk.

Journey and I headed down to the site with a friend who'd made her way into Toronto along with her very large-sized dog Walter, to experience the festivities.

A block from our destination, we could hear music in the air-some 60's or 70's tunes blasting from the general direction in which we were heading.

Upon arriving, I noticed the DJ/MC had set up his impressive sound equipment under the shelter of the boathouse, while the booths-about ten of them, were scattered out front along the grass. I had to raise my voice an octave or two to be heard above the music and was wondering about the comfort level of the dogs.

As a responsible dog owner, I appraoched the DJ, and asked if he might consider turning down the volume, explaining a dogs sense of hearing is ten times more acute than a humans. (shouldn't he have been aware of this??)

My friend from out of town commented on the lack of room on the walkway from the boardwalk to the boathouse-the center of the action, where the contests were being held-it was far too narrow. Flanked on either side by booths and tables, there was not room enough for people and dog traffic.

I remember the first year I attended Slobberfest in Kew Park, approaching the organizers with my concerns about their choices of the various contests. I see my concerns fell on deaf ears--

The 'Hot Dog Eating Contest' has dogs bobbing for hot dogs out of a bucket...who can eat the most hot dogs in a given time frame-I think it's a minute.

Does anyone really want to cheer their dog on, under the pressure of a stopwatch, to ingest nitrates, dyes and high sodium in copious amounts?? Great fun I suppose, if your dog is used to eating crap.

I reiterate---with all the quality, natural choices on the canine market, could the organizers not have considered another option? Unconscionable and indefensible.

If that's not enough to make any healthy dog (and any responsible owner) ill, there's the 'Canine Ice Cream Eating Contest.'

All these contests are held in the shade of the boathouse-however the floor is concrete. Why, with so many shade trees couldn't the revelry be held on a grassy area adjacent to the boathouse??

Why can't the organizers get together with doggy people (because they certainly don't seem to be!) and come up with healthier, more challenging contests??

Relay races, hide-and-seek-an-item, fastest response to a given command...are just a few that come to my mind...but come on--chowing down on hot dogs?!

Time for the organizers to give their tails a shake and spend some time and put a little more thought into the planning of this celebration. Perhaps a 'suggestion box?' I'm sure there would be a few good ones to chew on!