Friday, April 18, 2008

Pooches on Parade and Eco-Awareness: 'Mutt Strut' and Earth Day

Chestertown, MD — The Kent County Humane Society and Washington College's Center for Environment & Society will present the annual Mutt Strut, Pet Fair and Earth Day Celebration in downtown Chestertown on Saturday, April 26.

Festivities begin in Fountain Park at 9 a.m. with the 11th annual Mutt Strut, and continue with a variety of pet and Earth Day activities in Wilmer Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Mutt Strut is the spring fund-raiser for the local Humane Society's animal shelter, which hopes to generate enough revenue to start up a spay-and-neuter clinic. "Our goal this year is a hundred-dog march," said Humane Society Shelter Associate Courtney Phelps. "The most we've ever had is 67."

The dog parade culminates at Wilmer Park, the venue for the day-long celebration of the Earth and its animals. JoAnn Fairchild, CES program manager, said: "Our goal is for people from all walks of life to join together in praise of clean air, clean land and clean water. The Earth is our home. To protect the Earth is to protect our pets, our families, our future."

There is a $10 registration fee at Fountain Park for those who want to promenade with their dogs in the Mutt Strut. Admission to Pet Fair and Earth Day in Wilmer Park is free and open to the public.

Highlights will include live music, food concessions, eco-exhibits, pet tricks, canine competitions (the high jump contest, a limbo contest, and the dog/owner look-alike contest), a pet beauty contest, pet photos, pet safety and education, environmental education, recycling, t-shirt tie-dying, henna tattoos, a moon-bounce, and other fun offerings for kids of all ages.

In honor of April being Maryland Archaeology Month, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. the Washington College anthropology club and Lamda Alpha will demonstrate the use of the atlatl, a neolithic hunting spear. Making a special appearance as the life-like quarry will be "Murray the Mastodon," a 7-foot replica of a prehistoric pachyderm.

For more information, call 410/778-7295, or visit ces.washcoll.edu and www.kenthumane.org.

April 17, 2008

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