Canine Olympics showcase man’s best friend

After a two-year hiatus, the Coastal Canine Olympics are back in Del Norte. This past Saturday, the beachfront was packed with events. 

Utilizing the fancy new angled parking found on Front Street, the west end of Beachfront Park was flooded with all kinds of activity indicative of a family fun packed Labor Day weekend in this small town. 

The local high school band was blaring across the way from a vendor tent packed Seaquake parking lot. It was quite the scene (and sound) to kick off the Canine Olympics. Tucked up into the west side of the expansive Beachfront Park lies Crescent City’s relatively new dog park and in it, this year’s fierce and focused canine competitors and at the other end of their leashes, their handling humans. 

The event showcased mankind’s best friend from the teeniest to the tallest, the family dog to the pound pup. All walks and barks of canine life were represented and showcased in dopamine releasing glory. With a list of events that included best costume, musical buckets, best trick, add your balls, clean your plate, meatball race, doggie dash, treat toss, and the final event of agility course, there was something for everyone to enjoy. After all, who doesn’t love a cute pup in costume or seeing how disciplined and well other dogs listen to their humans? 

But the Canine Olympics weren’t solely operating on the backs of our four-legged friends. Some of the events required their humans to be just as athletic and disciplined like the meatball race for instance. It involved the dogs jogging their two-legged friends with a meatball on a spoon from one end of the park to the other without dropping it. 

The agility course, which is probably closer to what one conjures up at the thought “Canine Olympics” is a maze of various hoops, jumps, cones and teeter tottering boards that really showcase not only these dogs’ athleticism but their trusting love and BFF dedication to their human who is leading them through a completely new and unfamiliar terrain that would be met with a big fat “Nope” from me and my three dogs. 

This event was an absolute treat, and we have the Humane Society of Del Norte volunteers to thank as well as the dogs of Del Norte. The event included family and companion dogs from local homes and afar, dogs from our local pound, dogs who have previously been adopted from our local pound and even dogs from the Prison Paws Partnership which pairs dogs from our local pound with inmates out at Pelican Bay for training and socialization to help them get adopted. 

Dogs from all of these backgrounds took home medals that day and it really wasn’t any surprise when we are talking about man’s best friend competing alongside and for their human. So many good (fur) boys and girls participated and were awarded that day. Though they are all winners, it wouldn’t be an Olympic style event without a podium placement of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd and those are as follows. 

 

COSTUME CONTEST

1st place - Zeus – Maggie Wycoff

2nd place - Rascal – Kayla Barry

3rd place - Carly – Jayden Baldwin

 

BEST TRICK

1st place - Chico – Jane Lincoln

2nd place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

3rd place - Rocket – Sue Lytwnec

 

ADD YOUR BALLS

1st place - Carly – Jayden Baldwin

2nd place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

3rd place - Sparrow – Jamie Wheeldon

 

CLEAN YOUR PLATE

1st place - Sparrow – Jamie Wheeldon

2nd place - Ruby – Kay Lamb

3rd place - Carmel – Dogs of Del Norte

 

MEATBALL RACE

1st place - Harper – Mario Westphal

2nd place - Aleah – Judith Engelsma

3rd place - Rana – Brandon Smith

 

DOGGIE DASH (under 30 lbs.)

1st place - Carly – Jayden Baldwin

2nd place - Squiddle – Connor Nehmer

3rd place - Duck – Alana Nehmer

 

 DOGGIE DASH (over 30 lbs.)

1st place - Aleah – Judith Engelsma

2nd place - Bear – Brett Lamb

3rd place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

 

 TREAT TOSS

1st place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

2nd place - Carly – Jayden Baldwin

3rd place - Cooper – Sam Wakefield

 

MUSICAL BUCKETS

1st place - Rana – Brandon Smith

2nd place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

3rd place - Piper – Josh Lee

 

 AGILITY COURSE

1st place - Carly – Jayden Baldwin

2nd place - Indo – Stefan Mihaliak

3rd place - Jake – Sue Lytwnec

 

MOST FIRST PLACE WINS

 Carly - Jayden Baldwin

 

And of course, so many humans were pivotal in organizing and supporting this event. Humane Society and Del Norte pound would like to thank the sponsors....

Silver – Local Roots Salon

Gold – Coast Central Credit Union

Hemmingsen Contracting

Redwoods Leavitt Insurance

Four Paws Pet Hospital

Diamond – Annie’s Campfire Wood Service

Thanks to the judges....

Cara Patton

Tina

Catherine Balck