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Going to the dogs in the Royal City

Doggy Fun Day is aiming to provide a day of funfilled activities for dogs and their owners and to raise funds for a group that helps animals in need.

Doggy Fun Day is aiming to provide a day of funfilled activities for dogs and their owners and to raise funds for a group that helps animals in need.

The 12th annual Doggy Fun Day includes dog agility demonstrations by the Royal City Rockets, a variety of contests and displays by rescue organizations and companies catering to dogs. The event takes place on Sunday, Aug. 28 from noon to 3 p.m. in Queen's Park, on the field behind the stadium and above the off-leash dog area.

"The Royal City Rockets perform at 12: 30 and 2: 30 p.m.," said Nina Hobbis, one of the event's organizers. "We do all the crazy games starting at 1 p.m. We have an egg and spoon race. You run with the egg in a spoon - we have a dog on a leash."

The seven-legged race features two adults and one dog, racing to see who is first across the finish line. The dog/owner look-alike contest and bobbing for wieners contest are always popular events.

"That is the coveted one," Hobbis said of the bobbing for wieners contest. "We have dogs of all shapes and sizes."

Doggy Fun Day is designed to be a day that provides lots of fun and games for "dogs and their people," but also to raise funds for Pacific Volunteer and Education Assistance Team for Animals, Hobbis said.

"They provide financial assistance to low-income families needing a helping hand for spaying and neutering, or needing emergency care," she said about VEATA, which organizes the event. "It keeps these pets at home and out of shelters."

In addition to helping people with some of the costs that may force them to give up their pets, VEATA also provides emergency and temporary housing for animals belonging to people who may need to go into recovery homes or may be displaced because of a house or apartment fire.

Doggy Fun Day is free, but donations to VEATA will be accepted at the event. A raffle will also help raise funds for the non-profit group, which organizes Doggy Fun Day.

"It's lots of fun. It's a celebration of dogs. New Westminster has become such a dog-friendly city," Hobbis said. "Dog people just love to be with dog people. We had one time when it rained really hard - they still came. It's fun to see the different breeds and have fun with each other."

tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com