Dogfest returns to a paws-itive reception

One of the K-9 contestants happily poses with their award of ‘Most Obedient Dog’.

As promised, Dogfest was back on this year. In previous years, Dogfest has been an annual event put on by student council in the spring. Last year Dogfest was one of the many events cancelled due to COVID-19, so the return of the event this year proved exciting for dog-loving staff and students.

An irregularity of this year’s event was the fact that usually the student council executive board is in charge of putting on the event, but this year, sophomore class officers––Morgan Olson (president), Amelia Beutz (secretary), and William Frattalone (treasurer) were entirely in charge of the event from start to finish.

These sophomores were in charge of checking the dogs in as they arrived for the event, organizing the showing of the individual dogs, awarding each dog with their respective and unique awards, as well as all the necessary preparation before the event. “The sophomores did a great job introducing pets and owners as well as making creative awards for each dog,” student council advisor Ms. Rachel Kuzma Olson said.

In the past, it’s been warmer, closer, and louder…and no one pooped in the lunchroom.

— Lisa Bargas

As the dogs slowly arrived at the event, both owners and dogs socialized with each other––the dogs facilitating the perfect bridge for both dog and human interaction. “My favorite part of Dogfest is seeing what dog goes with what student,” chemistry teacher Lisa Bargas––who brought her two dogs, Ursula and Space Jam, to the fest––said.

Prior to this year, Dogfest has been held in the lunchroom, but this year due to capacity limitations, Dogfest was held in the back of the BSM parking lot. “In the past, it’s been warmer, closer, and louder…and no one pooped in the lunchroom,” Bargas said.

As far as turnout goes, this year was successful; 20 dogs participated in Dogfest. On top of that, the weather was decent enough––aside from a little wind––to proceed with the fun. “It was a bit windy, but we did not have any rain, which would’ve affected the turnout,” Olson said.

Although this year’s Dogfest didn’t look similar to previous years, it still can be deemed a success. Despite wind, a new location, and masks, both dogs and owners had their fair share of fun, as every dog and owner duo trotted their way out with a specialized award. “I enjoy[ed] Dogfest a lot,” Bargas said, whose dogs took home the best name and most loveable teddy bear awards.