Elizabeth Oei with her Weimeraners Bean (L) and Cosmo (R) at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
These little dogs failed to impress during the "pie-eating contest" at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
Pet Pantry EVP Adam Jacobson, center, with the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce's Tucker Murphy (L) and Laura Budd (R) at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22. Credit: Michael Dinan
Scenes from New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
Hundreds of leash-wielding New Canaan and area animal lovers descended on the parking lot at Pet Pantry on Grove Street on Sunday for a dog-friendly event that’s become a hugely popular spring tradition downtown.
Ladybug the beagle is adoptable through Strays & Others. here she at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
Less than halfway through the 7th Annual New Canaan Dog Days, an estimated 500-plus dog-lovers had visited the merchant tents, signed their four-legged family members up for contests, sampled free ice cream from Baskin Robbins and enjoyed the music of New Canaan School of Rock, one of its organizers said.
As it did for Caffeine & Carburetors at Waveny in the morning, the weather held out for Dog Days, said Adam Jacobson, executive vice president of Pet Pantry New Canaan.
Pet Pantry EVP Adam Jacobson (L) and Joshua Roth (R) at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
The event is expected to raise “thousands upon thousands of dollars” for Adopt-A-Dog as well as Strays & Others, Jacobson said.
“We have great support from our vendor partners,” including New Canaan Veterinary Hospital, he said.
“It’s a great local event that was started by Village Critter. We realized and recognized the benefit to the town and the community. We feel like it’s our obligation to give back to the local communities where we do business, and this is one great way we can do that, and help two great local causes at the same time.”
The 3-hour event featured a demonstration by the New Canaan Police Department K-9 unit, face painting and caricature drawings, family and pet portraits, scavenger hunt, lecture and demos, art activities, Q&A with dog trainers, musical sits and contests including “pie eating” for the dogs.
Elizabeth Oei with her Weimeraners Bean (L) and Cosmo (R) at New Canaan Dog Days 2016, held May 22 at Pet Pantry on Grove Street. Credit: Michael Dinan
Vendors of grain-free, organic and otherwise specialized dog foods and treats handed out free samples to attendees—and all of those who set up tents for the giveaways sell their products in Pet Pantry.
Elizabeth Oei, a 1983 New Canaan High School graduate and EMT with the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, attended Dog Days with her two well-known Weimeraners, Cosmo, 13, and Bean, 8.
Oei said she has enjoyed the event more since it was shifted a few weeks earlier, meaning the pavement downtown isn’t overly hot for the dogs.
“I think it’s a good social event to see the products that are out there and to meet other dogs,” she said.
