Saturday, August 27th, 2022
Dog days of summer
Groups pair for National Dog Day
By Leslie Gartrell
Photo by Leslie Gartrell/The Daily Standard
Duke, a 4-month-old wirehair terrier, smiles outside Biggby Coffee in St. Marys on Friday. The coffee shop paired with the Auglaize County Humane Society for an adoption and donation drive in honor of National Dog Day.
ST. MARYS - Man's best friend was given a chance to shine Friday at Biggby Coffee in honor of National Dog Day.
The annual holiday honors dogs of all shapes and sizes and promotes awareness about adopting the fuzzy friends in rescue centers.
At Biggby Coffee, staff decided to pair up with the Auglaize County Humane Society to celebrate the holiday with an inaugural National Dog Day event.
The event featured splash pools, gourmet treats, specially made tie dye doggie bandanas and pup cups, which are small cups filled with whipped cream and topped with a dog treat.
The Auglaize County Humane Society brought Duke, an adoptable 4-month-old wirehair vizsla mix puppy, as an ambassador for the 41 dogs and cats currently available for adoptions at the shelter.
The event also served as a donation drive for the shelter by raising money through the sale of treats and bandanas and collecting goods such as dog and cat food, treats, cat litter and more.
Biggby Coffee District Manager Jeannette Tajalle said the event was two years in the making.
Photo by Leslie Gartrell/The Daily Standard
Biggby District Manager Jeannette Tajalle shakes the paw of Belle, an American pitbull terrier, and offers her a treat.
"We were going to do it about two years ago and then COVID hit so we had to postpone it," she said. "Biggby loves their pups and we give pup cups to all dogs that go through the drive thru, and so we just wanted to take it to the next level."
In fact, staff at the St. Marys location love dogs so much they made a special request to Biggby corporate to create a photo wall dedicated to dogs enjoying their pup cups.
"Because we are all such huge animal lovers we thought it would be good to bring awareness to Biggby and the Humane Society and join the two," Tajalle said. The shelter has "a lot of animals that need forever homes, and that's kind of the route to go."
While buying a specific breed of cat or dog is appealing for some, there are numerous reasons to consider adopting a pet instead.
According to the Humane Society of America, it's estimated that more than 1 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the U.S. simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet.
By adopting rather than shopping, the number of euthanized animals could be dramatically reduced, the Human Society says. In return, individuals and families bring home happy, healthy pets who are waiting for a forever home.
Photo by Leslie Gartrell/The Daily Standard
Lola the chocolate lab enjoys a pup cup filled with whipped cream and topped with a dog treat.
Deb Logan, manager of the Auglaize County Humane Society, said almost all shelter pets are house-trained and used to living with families. It's also significantly more affordable to shop rather than spend thousands on an specific breed, she added.
"Every animal is lovable like every child," Tajalle said. "Every animal, every dog is lovable. You don't have to go spend thousands of dollars on an animal."
Logan said the shelter is packed with cats and kittens because it is birthing season for felines and said the shelter is not accepting new animals for the time being.
She encouraged people to spay and neuter their cats and dogs to prevent shelters from becoming overcrowded, reduce pet dumping and keep adoptable animals off of the streets and out of harms way.
The Auglaize County Humane Society, 616 N. Dixie Hwy., Wapakoneta, is open from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays. The shelter is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
