Fetch some fun at Poochapalooza

MARYSVILLE — Leslie Buell expects this year’s Poochapalooza to be the best one yet.

The event on Saturday is the largest annual fundraiser for M-DOG, the Marysville Dog Owners Group. The nonproft maintains Strawberry Fields f

or Rover Off-Leash Park at Strawberry Fields Athletic Park. All proceeds from the event benefit the park at 6100 152nd St. NE.

The fifth Poochapalooza is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Strawberry Fields Athletic Park and is set to offer competitions for canines, including “Best in Show” contests and a meat pie-eating contest sponsored and emceed by Dorothy Moore, owner of Dining Dog Cafe and Bakery of Edmonds.

Pie-eating contests for big and small dogs are scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. and cost $10 to enter. The cost is $5 for one “Best in Show” contest, or $10 for unlimited contests. People can register their dogs for the contest up to a half hour before the start of each contest at the M-DOG festival booth.

Owners also can enter their dogs in the Hyperflite Skyhoundz Flying Disc Championship from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no entry fee but competitors are asked to show up a half-hour early for the contest.

M-DOG decided to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the event by including the “Fashion and Rescues” Runway Dog Show, said Buell, M-DOG president and Poochapalooza founder. Rescue dogs from Bulldog Haven NW, Camano Animal Shelter Association, Homeward Pet Adoption Center, Love a Mutt and N.O.A.H Animal Adoption Center are set to model pet fashions. The runway model dogs are adoptable on site.

“It’s an event in itself,” Buell said. “We usually get around 3,000 people, but I think we’re going to get a much bigger draw with the fashion show.”

A $5 donation to enter the event includes goodie “wag” bags for the first 400 visitors, Buell added.

Free microchip ID implants for the first 50 dogs will be provided by volunteer veterinarians and technicians through the Snohomish County Animal Advisory Board in cooperation with the County Auditor’s Licensing and Animal Services Division. A license application is required if the owner lives in an area where county animal control is the licensing agency.

Demonstrations by Emerald City K-9 Freestyle Dancers and Seattle FlyDogs also are scheduled to be part of this year’s Poochapalooza. In all, about 40 vendors are expected to be part of the event.

Several vendors have agreed to donate their proceeds from the event to M-DOG, Buell said. The nonprofit is raising funds for the maintenance of the park and to put a small dog area in the off-leash park.

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.

Walk the dog

Poochapalooza is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Strawberry Fields Athletic Park, 6100 152nd St. NE. There is a $5 suggested donation to help M-DOG maintain Strawberry Fields for Rover Off-Leash Park.

More information and a schedule of events can be found at www.poochapalooza.org.