The first annual Shepherdstown Has Gone To The Dogs family picnic turned out to be a real fun day for families and their pups.

I would like to thank the Shepherdstown Visitors Center’s Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to try something new and support my idea of having a very different type of fundraiser.

A special thanks goes to the Visitors Center’s volunteers and my family who were able to attend the picnic to help and be supportive, my husband Tom who cooked the hot dogs and served lunch, all the businesses who were more than generous with their donations, and of course thank you to Charlotte the Wonder Dog and her owner, author D.C. Gallant. Also, I would like to thank the local media who really helped to get the word out about our event.

While some thought that this might have been chaotic, bringing all these dogs together, I can tell you that the dogs were all well cared for and very well behaved. An article in Time stated that the dog business in the last couple of years has gone from a 17 to a 43 billion dollar business; this is proof that we really care about our dogs.

Having a picnic where a family can bring their dog instead of locking the dog up for the day just seems to make so much sense. I enhanced this idea by adding a dog theme to the picnic with a photo contest for first second and third prizes, an obstacle course, a story circle for dog stories, dog treats, and a raffle to include five dog-themed gift baskets filled with beautiful gifts from the shops in Shepherdstown as well as a few other local businesses from the region.

I can honestly say, the dogs had just as much fun as their owners, and people from all over said they would definitely be back next year. So start thinking of what picture of your dog you would like to submit to the Second Annual, “Shepherdstown Has Gone To The Dogs!”

Cheryl Keyrouze,

director,

Shepherdstown Visitors Center