There was a definite eau de dog in the air Saturday as dog owners and their furry friends turned out at the Marketplace Shopping Center to brush up their dog ownership skills at the second annual Responsible Dog Ownership Day. It was jointly sponsored by the Animal Care Center of St. John and the American Kennel Club.
Paul Jordan, a member of the Animal Care Center, put Freddie, a female Doberman Pinscher, through her paces. She sat, she walked and when Jordan held her leash while owner Patti Mahoney walked away, she sat patiently until Mahoney returned.
“She passed. I want to show her at obedience trials in the states and this was a good test,” Mahoney, a St. John resident, said of her six-month-old canine.
Freddie made quite a journey to get to St. John. Born in Slovenia, she and her breeder traveled to Germany where she got on a plane to Miami. Mahoney flew up to Miami to meet her new dog, and the Freddie flew home with Mahoney in the airplane’s cabin. Mahoney said she found the breeder through the Internet.
“He sent me a good dog,” she said as Freddie enthusiastically splashed water out of the drinking bowl.
St. Thomas residents Cathryn Stauffer and Tim Switzer were looking for tips on obedience training for their dog Sunny.
“We just got our dog a couple of months ago,” Stauffer said.
Jennifer Russ, who is new to St. John, wanted some help on getting her 14-year-old golden retriever acclimated to St. John.
John Fuller, Animal Care Center treasurer, gave her a list of do’s and don’ts for tropical dogs and told her that dogs were not allowed on any V.I. National Park beaches. He also pointed out the benefits of spending $5 to buy a dog license from the Animal Care Center. He said that the Animal Care Center keeps owner and contact information on record, and if the dog is lost, the tag has the shelter’s number on it for the finder to call.
In addition to the $5 for the dog license, the Animal Care Center was selling T-shirts left over from the May Wagapalooza in hopes of raising funds. Animal Care Center Vice President Monica Munro didn’t have too many takers, but said any money raised would go to fund the shelter’s operations.
Jordan said Responsible Dog Ownership Day was important not only for current dog owners but for people who were considering buying a dog. He also said that the day was an opportunity for dogs, which are highly social animals, to meet and sniff.
“A lot of dogs live solitary lives at home,” he said as several dogs got acquainted with each other as their owners chatted.
St. Thomas resident Jessica Meil agreed.
“It’s great for my dog because it gets him out,” she said.
Call the Animal Care Center at 774-1625 or visit www.stjacc.org.
