The 12th annual Bark in the Park was hosted on Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kiesel Park. The event, which celebrated dogs and their owners, was hosted by Auburn Parks and Recreation and Lee County Humane Society.
The event began at 9 a.m. with the 4th annual Tails and Trails 3K. The run, which was free for participants, allowed dogs and their owners to be active together.
Bark in the Park was home to local pet vendors, educational booths, food trucks and live music. Local pet vendors were set up throughout Kiesel Park in promotion of their products or services.
One of those vendors was RTN Dog Training and Boarding, a business created by Navy veterans Jenn and Troy Heilman two years ago.
RTN Dog Training and Boarding opened a facility in Aug. 2023. Prior to this, the business operated through home visits.
Jenn and Troy Heilman’s daughter, Janeice Rebenitsch, acts as assistant manager and operated the RTN Dog Training and Boarding tent at the event. This was the business’s second year attending Bark in the Park.
Rebenitsch appreciated the event as it was.
“It’s set up really well,” Rebenitsch said. “It’s a great environment.”
CARE Humane Society attended the event with rescue dogs available for adoption.
Until October 2023, CARE Humane Society was known as Lee County Humane Society. The name change came as an attempt to better reflect the goals of the shelter, which include compassion, adoption, rescue and education.
Bella Huckemeyer, volunteer at CARE Humane Society, helped the shelter’s rescue dogs get attention from potential adoptees by walking them around Kiesel Park.
Huckemeyer walked Kaa, a male puppy of mixed breed available for adoption.
“I love this event,” Huckemeyer said. “It gets the dogs outside and creates a community. Everyone loves animals.”
Huckemeyer, like Rebenitsch, attended Bark in the Park for a second time.
Although local vendors and rescue dogs were a large part of the event, Bark in the Park was organized to celebrate responsible dog ownership, according to the City of Auburn’s website.
Cortney Henderson, dog owner and attendee of Bark in the Park, visited Kiesel Park after finding out about the event on Facebook.
Henderson and her family brought Sally, a 3-year-old German Shepard to the event.
As a mother to three children, Henderson appreciated the inclusion of child-oriented activities. Her children enjoyed getting their faces painted, Henderson said.
As one of Auburn’s annual events, Bark in the Park is a staple event for dog-lovers. Not only does it introduce attendees to local vendors, but it encourages dog-owners to take their animals out for a day of fun.
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Kayleigh Freeman, freshman in journalism, is a news writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
