Dogs March in East Atlanta Village for 6th Annual Dogtoberfest

By Carlen Ruth Hultgren
The family-friendly Dogtoberfest returns to East Atlanta Village (EAV) on Sunday, October 21, and once again hundreds of Atlantans of all ages, and dogs of all breeds, will fill the streets of the Village for Halloween-themed fun, and to raise funds for a worthy nonprofit. The event features a pet parade, a Halloween costume contest, and more.
Each year, the annual Dogtoberfest benefits a new nonprofit that focuses on improving the lives of pets. This year’s beneficiary, The W-Underdogs, pairs at-risk youth in Peoplestown and South Atlanta, with animals in need, in an effort to teach the kids leadership, responsibility, and compassion as they learn to train and care for dogs.
East Atlanta resident Lauren Janis, founder of Big Daddy Biscuits, first launched Dogtoberfest, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, in 2013 to celebrate responsible pet ownership. “We’ve watched Dogtoberfest continue to grow, and we’re grateful to those who have turned out over the years to have a great time with their “fur babies” while raising funds for worthy causes,” said Janis. “If the 2018 festival will be your first, then you can enjoy a ‘howling’ good festival while helping out The W-Underdog deserving programs for kids and pups.”
The event is free for people, $5 per dog, and costume-contest entry is $5. In addition to the costume contest and parade, Dogtoberfest features adorable, adoptable dogs and cats, a chance to win costume prizes, people and pup vendors, and exciting raffle prizes.
The festival takes place at 572 Stokeswood Avenue, in the EAV Farmers Market area, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. All dogs entering Dogtoberfest must be spayed/neutered and on leashes (not the retractable kind).
Event sponsors include Park Pet Supply, The Midway Pub, East Atlanta Animal Clinic, Joe’s East Atlanta Coffee Shop, Furside EAV, Atlanta Movie Tours, Gone to the Dogs Pet Care, and Traci with an Eye Graphic Design. The 2018 logo for Dogtoberfest was designed by R. Land.
Come out with your dogs, your kids, your neighbors. Take a new pet home, make a pet play date, and enjoy other people’s pets. But whatever you do, come out and enjoy Dogtoberfest 2018.
To find out more, or to sign up, go to the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dogtoberfesteav.
The W-Underdogs nonprofit teaches kids how to manage, care for and train dogs and cats and vet them as needed. They learn personal discipline and responsibility as they rehabilitate the animals. They learn how to care for animals and in turn, how to care for themselves and to have compassion for others. The W-Underdogs’ main goal is to be able to provide a more comprehensive “tool bank” for the kids to learn these skills, and to carefully and selectively expand the program so more kids can participate. To learn how to get involved, visit www.w-underdogs.org.
Big Daddy Biscuits is an Atlanta-based maker of organic, farm-to-table dog treats. For more information about Big Daddy Biscuits’ full line of dog products, visit www.BigDaddyBiscuits.com.