Hundreds come down with Furr Fever
Tom Hasslinger | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 7 months AGO
<p>6-year old Elizabeth Nelson, right, is all smiles while being introduced to Heather Ammirata, left, and her dogs Roxy, Lola and Ava on Saturday at the Furr Fever Family Festival at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.</p>
<p>Keegan Riggs, 7, launches a beanbag bone at the mouth of a cardboard dog Saturday during the Furr Fever Family Festival at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Games like the beanbag toss helped raise more than $5,000 for the society. Keegan nailed the shot six times.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Twelve hundred paws.
And quite a few humans, too.
The inaugural Furr Fever Family Festival brought in around 600 visitors Saturday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, half of them having brought a pooch with them.
That's a lot of paws.
"It's been a huge success," said Rondi Renaldo, Kootenai Humane Society director on Saturday's fundraiser, which had games, contests and raffles for the pet-friendly. "No bites, and no fights."
The event netted between $5,000 and $10,000.
Around 50 volunteers manned booths and helped out.
Taking home some hardware was Spotty for best costume. The Chihuahua wore a chicken head for the prize, while junior higher schoolers Brielle and Taryn Olson won the pet/owner look alike contest with their dog Anna. Anna is a white dog with a black circle around its eye a la Spuds MacKenzie. The girls painted their faces white and putting on the matching black eye.
Janene Mergler used the event to try out some new toys and amenities for her two dogs, like a dog dish that compartmentalizes and shifts to give the dog a challenge while searching out for its treats.
"When it comes to treats you can't hide them," she said as the she watched her dogs master the dish. "They even know all my hiding spots."
It was the first year for this particular fundraiser, but it will likely become an annual tradition, Renaldo said.