Westborough – As tails wagged and paws gave owners high fives, spectators at the Rotary Club of Westborough’s 15th annual Spring Festival gathered around the amateur dog show.
Coordinated by Reina Rago, a resident of Westborough and a proud dog owner of Remy, the show featured 12 different categories (Smallest, Biggest, Best Tail Wag, Most Obedient, Best Smile, Looks Most Like Owner. Best Trick, Best Paw Shake or High Five, Highest Jump, Best Kisser, Softest, Most Fashionable) which allowed all dogs to shine, or at least bark! Owners paid $5 per category for their dog to participate or $20 to enter their dog in as many categories as they would like. All About the Pup’s groomer was also on hand to groom dogs for a small fee. All the proceeds from the dog events went to Daisy’s Animal Rescue League in Sterling.
Todd and Lily Hathaway, owners of All About the Pup, a facility located in Westborough that provides cage-free doggie daycare, boarding, training and grooming services, were this year’s judges. On hand to teach children how to gently brush and cuddle with dogs was Quite Fetching, a dog boutique located in Grafton. To round out the picture was Creations by Sea-Jay Photography who provided free professional photographs to the winning dogs in each category. Children also made colorful paw print drawings with help from the pups.
“We are so pleased that this year’s amateur dog show taught children about how to take care of a puppy so that families could seriously evaluate whether they are ready to take care of a dog,” stated Rago. “In addition, we are grateful for those who supported the dog show and helped raise money for Daisy’s Animal Rescue League. Every dog deserves a loving home. We look forward to next year’s dog show and lots of fun events with the pups! ”
