Dog Olympics celebrates the good, cute and costumed

Pets can’t help themselves when it comes to finding a warm home or getting the necessary medical care.

That’s why Nashville resident Rob Taylor and his dog, DooDooBud, supported the annual Pause for Paws fundraiser — a dog Olympics — Saturday at Riverside Veterinary office.

“My dog comes here to the vet, and I think it’s a good cause,” Taylor said.

At least 40 dogs participated with their owners in a variety of competitions including a musical sit, cookie toss, obedience, silly pet tricks, smallest dog, largest dog, cutest dog, best dog costume and dog and owner look-a-like contest. A short rain shower halted the competitions briefly, said Dr. Kara Bissett-Wheeler, a Riverside veterinarian. Still, the turnout was better this year for the event than last year, she said.

“All of the activities were good,” Bissett-Wheeler said.

Quite a few dogs came out winners, getting ribbons pinned to their collars. Lyn Barger and her dog, Mia, won first-place in the dog and owner look-a-like competition. They both wore similar white tank tops and matching pink bows that Barger picked up from a pet store.

“We go here to the vet and came (to Pause for Paws) last year and had such a good time,” Barger said. “So we wanted to come here and support (the fundraising effort).”

Riverside also had a dog cookie bake sale and a silent auction set up inside of the office. The silent auction featured prizes such as dinner and a movie for two, dog treat baskets, gift baskets, oil changes, horseback-riding certificates, dog day care certificates, grooming services, blankets and baked goods.

A K-9 unit from the Rocky Mount Police Department also did a demonstration after the Olympic competitions ended. Bissett-Wheeler threw a remote control into an open field and the dog, a German Shepard from the Netherlands, went out to retrieve it with the help of its handler. The K-9 team has been working the streets of Rocky Mount since December.

The group Pause for Paws was created as a fundraising body to assist with the ongoing task of finding a way to help place the animals abandoned at Riverside. Pause for Paws wants to be able to provide abandoned animals with the same medical care that people would give their our own pets, Bissett-Wheeler said. The funds allow the veterinary office to test all kittens for infectious diseases such as feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. The funds also help the office test all dogs for heartworm disease and treat those that have heartworms. The main goal is to place these abandoned animals in homes, she said. Right now the office has about 10 animals that need homes.

“We saw lots of new faces (at the fundraiser),” Bissett-Wheeler said. “Everybody from Riverside appreciates the community’s support. The profit helps us help more animals.”