Local pet scene waggin' strong
By Robin Tierney
Photos by Alan Bowser
Warm weather inspires pet people
to look for places they can take
their fur-kids. The local scene offers some well-hounded hot spots.
The monthly South Silver Spring art walk, newly rescheduled to second Saturdays at 2 p.m., adopted a Dog Walk theme for April – attracting some 20 dogs and their people. The dogs ranged from small to super-size, from purebreds to mixed breeds, got along well.
Lisa Rother of Glenmont attended with husband Mark, four-year-old terrier mix Gypsy, and Scruffy, an eight-year-old golden retriever. “Generally when we take the dogs out, we either go for a walk in Wheaton Regional Park in the woods or to the dog park. This urban scene was all new to them, and it took us a while to get from the parking garage to the gallery because the smells were so enticing in the landscaping at the edge of the street.”
A volunteer dog walker held the dogs on leash while the Rothers slipped into galleries. “The art was great, and it was nice to be greeted with a madly wagging tail each time we came back,” said Lisa. The Rothers swapped tales with fellow pet parents. “One guy was wearing a ‘Dog Dad’ cap, and we knew who ruled in that relationship.”
The walk’s liveliest stop was Pyramid Atlantic Art Center’s dog-friendly outdoor studio. Art Walkers and their pooches made paw prints on handmade paper, then embellished them with painted dog bones and silhouettes. “You design the artwork, put glue in and mix the [cotton fiber] pulp, and dip your dog’s paw into it,” said Julia Maas, there with parents Doug and Brenda, friend Maya and black toy poodle Cody.
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Cory Smith, Companion Animals program manager with the Humane Society of the United States, handed out educational literature. “People enjoy the opportunity to bring their dogs with them,” she said. “We need more events like this.”
Pyramid Atlantic’s Beth Ann Kyle helped art-walking artists make spring-colored paper creations, combining arf with art. Her brown lab Joey served as demo dog. Inspired more by appetite than muse, some dogs showed more interest in lapping the paint, which was, thankfully, nontoxic. |
Human-canine collaborators included Robert Middleton with Simba, a well-behaved eight-year-old yellow lab, and Alan Bowser with two-year-old Ajax, all from Silver Spring.
Will more bring-your-pet events follow in the new arts and entertainment district? David Fogel at Gateway Georgia Avenue Revitalization Corporation thinks so. Four-legged visitors were welcome at the April 22-23 MoJo at SoPo Festival in Arts Alley at Blair Mill. Brenda Smoak, who coordinates the Arts Alley second Saturday artist market, invites folks to bring dogs – along with plastic bags for clean up. When a special treat’s in order, Moorenko’s on Georgia Avenue offers a non-fat yogurt Doggie ice cream in edible cups.
Over at the Calverton Petsmart, Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) held a cat and dog adoption fair. Krissy DeShetler helped parents teach their three-year-old the proper way to offer a dog a treat. Her foster dog Bix provided full cooperation. The nine-year-old brindle-coated lab mix came to PAW in January when his owner died. “Bix is quite a character,” said DeShetler. “He has lots of energy, plays with toys, runs around the yard. This time of year, the volunteer fields a certain question over and over: “Does the dog shed?” DeShetler replies that it’s natural for dogs to shed.
PAW cats are shown to potential adopters in another part of the store to minimize dog-induced stress. Volunteer Allan Dansie’s foster cats, Ariel and Audrey, aren’t attracting much attention this day. “They’re not kittens or lap cats,” says Dansie of the four-year-old sister tabby cats. “When they’re shy, they’re harder to adopt.” But he and his wife Sonja will keep seeking a lifelong home for the low-key kitties.
Just over the DC line in Takoma, the Big Bad Woof has just celebrated its first anniversary. Shop owner Pennye Jones-Napier helpfully discusses organic raw food diets and several super-premium dry dog food with a new customer. She notes benefits of nutritious foods, such as better health, lowered risk of disease, increased vitality. Her own dog, Artemis, enjoyed extra years, despite diabetes, due to a holistic diet and supplements.
Judging by the displays brimming with stylish and functional items, Woof lives up to its slogan, “Essentials for the socially conscious pet.” Cats and other companion animals have their day here too. Feline fun ranges from catnip items to kitty walking harnesses to the chic PetTube portable carrier.
Woof hosts free community events; May is booked with Washington Animal Rescue League adoption shows, a Greyhound adoption fair and on May 27, the Woof holistic wellness clinic. And for the pampered pooch, there’s the on-site Paws of Enchantment Holistic Day Spa.
After the Art Walk/Dog Walk, Lisa Rother mused how her dogs’ lives have been enhanced dramatically this month. “The culture and new experiences make them very happy.” And tired: “They slept really well, no doubt dreaming about the Arts Alley and all of their new friends.”
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