Dog day in the park
Volunteers Kathy Stephan, right, and Ernest Facundo bathe an orphan dog during the Animal Advocates In Motion walk-a-thon at the Municipal Golf Course in Grants Saturday, October 18. The dog was one of several animals from the St. Francis Sanctuary for Animals that was offered for adoption at the event. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — A wet T-shirt on a dog? In October? What are people thinking? According to sponsors and participants at the Animal Advocates In Motion/Cibola County Humane Society costume party and walk-a-thon Saturday, everyone was thinking about fun.

AAIM Director Denise Marinelli said the group put the event together quickly because the weatherman predicted a sunny day in the 70s — a good day for pets and families to enjoy the last of summer-like days. Saturday was near 70 degrees and warm enough let a pet get wet.

About 25 people, including law enforcement, turned up a Zuni Mountain Golf Course in Milan for events like the Second Annual Dog Costume Contest and featured walk-a-thon, and to compete in games of action like the hot-dog hunt, races, “Snoopy Says,” a sitting speed event and a wet T-shirt contest.

Law enforcement, represented by deputies from the Cibola County Sheriff’s Department, were not called to the event to arrest the wet T-shirters — who were, after all, canine — but to give warnings and, if necessary, citations, to four-legged contestants who committed such traffic violations as speeding or “failure to maintain lane.”

Marinelli said that although three deputies were present, only one “verbal warning” was issued for an “infraction” during the dog races. It was all in fun, anyway.

Sgt. John Castenada of the Grants Police Department brought his family and the family dog and commented he was there as both a policeman and a participant. The sergeant did not issue any tickets but did watch as his daughter, Amaya, won a prize in a blindfold game when she chose her own dog out of a variety of pooches she could touch but not see.

Marinelli said when it came to the costume contest, an independent panel of judges including AAIM volunteer Melanie Ukawana and “a couple of gentlemen” recruited on the spot could not declare a winner from the array of costumed critters who masqueraded as a rabbit, a penguin, a princess with a crown, a fireman, a hippie with peace symbol and other surprising things, so they awarded prizes to everyone.

The clear winners for the wieners were the little dogs.

Marinelli said the point of the game was to ferret out hot dogs hidden in old shoes scattered about.

“They were closest to the ground,” she said, speculating that being near the scent gave the short-legged an advantage denied them in the dozen or so races held over the day.

But the wet T-shirt contest required more than long limbs and canine cunning to win. Dog owners were key in getting to the finish line — running with their animal partners to get a T-shirt, racing to a trough of water to wet the shirt, figuring out how to get a clingy garment on a wiggling pup and racing with the dog to the line before competitors.

And yes, Don Webb of KD Radio in Grants did walk Naked on the Milan golf course — Naked was lent to Webb by AAIM for the excursion. Nude was also walked on the course, under the control of an AAIM volunteer.

Will AAIM hold a day on the green for dogs and owners again?

“We may scale it down next year,” Marinelli said, but she made it clear the event was outrageous fun and worth doing again. She added that AAIM is always looking for volunteers who can help with pet events as well give a hand in the office, animal placement or in the thrift store.

Information: Animal Advocates in Motion/Cibola Humane Society office, 287-9422. If no answer, leave message.