This Sunday, April 7, the Tuskegee University Canine Club will host its annual Doggie Olympics at Kiesel Park from 1-5 p.m., with proceeds benefitting the Macon County Humane Society.
Willie Bidot, who is in his third year of pursuing his doctorate at Tuskegee Veterinarian School and is also president of the Canine Club, said the event is a great way to promote health for the dogs as well as have fun.
Other Tuskegee clubs will be present at the event, offering activities like dog bathing and microchipping, Bidot said.
The event is free, but if owners want to enter their canines in competitions, registration is $2. Events will include competitions for the largest dog, smallest dog, fastest peanut butter licker and most obedient, among other events, Bidot said.
There will be prizes for first, second and third place for all competitions, Bidot said.
"It's just something different for their dogs," said Melissa Weldon of Auburn Parks and Recreation. "You can get your dogs involved in the event and...it doesn't have to be a dog with a kind of talent - you could just be a great dog that loves peanut butter and your dog could walk away with a prize."
One of the reasons Weldon wants to support the event is because the proceeds go to help the Macon County Humane Society, Weldon said.
Weldon lives on a small farm in Notasulga and said her and her husband have 12 dogs, 11 of them rescued.
"I know the need is there," Weldon said.
Lorna Aho, president of the Macon County Humane Society said on a personal level, she enjoys coming to the Doggie Olympics and getting to see the familiar faces of dogs she has previously fostered and having them remember her.
Macon County Humane Society has no facility and operates solely on fostering, Aho said.
Aho said right now she has 10 foster dogs and eight of her own, estimating that she has fostered more than 350 animals in the last four to five years.
The event is helpful for the MCHS in not only providing money, but also in raising awareness. "To be honest, the human resource side needs to be as replenished just as much as the monetary side," Aho said. "I could have all the money in the world but if I didn't have fosters I couldn't make this thing work."
The event will be held in the dog park section of Kiesel Park.
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