To the editor:

Our Brown County Humane Society just completed its 15th Annual Dawg Gone Walk & Fiesta. This year’s event brought together nearly 100 dogs and their human companions for a day of fun and games. The success of this event was made possible by wonderful sponsors, goody bag donors, volunteers and participants.

We would especially like to thank the following: Earl Piper for blessing the dogs; Nancy Pugh for doing a wonderful job of emceeing the event; and our judges Justin Irvine, Pam Raider and State Rep. Linda Lawson.

This year our generous corporate and platinum sponsors included Bloomington Veterinary Hospital, Jones Law Office, Ratts Family Charitable Fund, Royal on the Eastside in Bloomington, Tony Stewart Foundation, Werling Charitable Foundation, Zacks Investment Management and The Village Candlemaker. In addition, we had many gold and silver sponsorships that provided financial support for this event. A big thank-you to Seward Party Rentals for graciously donating our merchandise tent and chairs for our participants.

Our goody bags continued to be a big hit with our participants. The bags were stuffed full of wonderful donated toys and treats for the dogs. It was also a great opportunity for our sponsors to promote their businesses.

We have all heard that “it takes a village.” This event could not have happened without the wonderful volunteers who worked all day to make this event a fantastic success. From setup to cleanup, this group ensured that everyone had a great time. It was a true pleasure to work with such dedicated people.

We would like to extend a special thank-you to the BCHS football team for providing much-needed muscle for setup and tear-down for this year’s event. Each and every player who attended was a great help!

And lastly, the Dawg Gone Walk & Fiesta would not happen without the participants and their dogs. From small to large dogs, the love and passion these owners have for their pets is amazing. Thank you all for braving the mud and coming out and enjoying the day with us.

Sue Ann Werling, president, Brown County Humane Society (submitted by Megan Gushwa, development manager)

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