Second annual Tumwater Dogs Day  

Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz and friends

JOLT staff photo

This week’s column is dedicated to the event Trish attended Saturday at Pioneer Park Dog Days sponsored and put on by City of Tumwater Parks and Recreation and Twin Star Credit Union. 

The 2^nd Annual Tumwater Dogs Days on June 8^th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. had an attendance of around 1500 people and dogs. According to an employee with the City of Tumwater, that is about 3 times as many as attended the 1^st Tumwater Dog Days event.   There was definitely something for everyone and I was amazed at how the City of Tumwater took care of the dogs by having sprinklers, pools and even a fenced-off area for 30lb and underdogs to run around with their new friends.   

There was a costume contest with 6 contestants.  I met Luna, one of the contestants and her mom Kelsey. Luna had butterfly wings on and seemed to enjoy her day in the sun. I was helping at a booth, so didn’t get to see who won.  There was also a Dog/Owner Look-a-Like contest. 

There was a presentation made by Muttz-K-Teers Thurston County 4-H club. Several youth trainers and their dogs showed off their skills and training. This is a 4-H club dedicated to teaching children to raise, train, groom, care and show their dogs. They do so much more, including Community Service activities, participating in parades, education of several topics to help youth reach their potential and build confidence and self-esteem. One of the 4-H kids, Dean, also helped in the booth. He encouraged people to make dog toys from material they had on hand plus for a donation, they gave away dog toys and healthy dog cookies. I made several doggie friends with the cookies I shared. If interested in finding out more about Muttz-K-Teers 4-H club, contact April Stanke at 253-677-4209 or APRLS@aol.com. 

I met Harper, a 5 yr. Old Chiweenie cutie and her mom Lydia and Aunt Kate when I first arrived. The week before, she had 21 teeth removed due to a previous owner not keeping up with veterinary care.  A dog has 42 teeth, so the poor girl lost half of her teeth.  She is with a loving and caring family now and she shows it. 

I also met Gaston, a 2 yr. old Newfoundland. A mighty big boy who was getting his portrait done by a Caricature artist with Tumwater Arts. 

While making my rounds thru the event, I had a T-shirt made on the spot by Mobile Apparelist. They do custom branding of T-shirts, handbags and several other items of your choice. They are based out of Kirkland but do events throughout Thurston County and Western Washington.

Their proceeds from this event went to Old Dog Haven who also had a booth, an organization that I am very familiar with that helps senior dogs, some with medical issues and most likely not adoptable, find their forever foster homes.  I have a foster girl named Kixx, a Cock-a-poo mix who is 17 now and after the first day, you would have thought she had been with us forever.  I can’t thank Old Dog Haven enough for matching me with Kixx. They pay all medical bills and prescription dog food. They have given over 300 dogs forever homes.  It sometimes can cost $100,000 a month for veterinary services and surgeries so if you are interested in becoming a foster parent or donating, contact olddoghaven.org.

Another booth visited was “Guide Dogs for the Blind.”  They have 5 puppies in training currently, 2 in formal training.  They usually have 7 to 10 dogs at a time for training. Check out guidedogs.com. 

Deschutes Animal Clinic gave 52 free rabies vaccinations while at the event.  Thank you, Deschutes, for this service you provided. 

The city of Tumwater Police K-9 unit was at Dog Days and gave a presentation with Thor and James. I spoke with K-9 Officer R. Mize who, by the way, just retired last week with 25 years of service, 19 of those years with the K-9 unit.  Congratulations and thank you for your service. He said the K-9 unit was started in 2006. It was met with approval from the Tumwater City Council and Police Dept., but they needed $13,000 in donations to get started. The overwhelming support of Tumwater citizens raised $20,000. The first K-9 was Otis. Officer Mize (and James) said the citizens of Tumwater have shown great support over the years. We saw Thor in action with his handler, K-9 Officer Grimmett. He said that after the dog has retired from service, the handler can purchase the dog for $1. Isn’t that great? They create such a bond with their dogs. 

Another great organization is Concern for Animals. I had no idea, they did so much for pets and their owners plus help find homes for adoption. They have been serving Thurston, Mason, Lewis, and Grays Harbor Counties since 1980. Their mission is to assist members of our communities struggling to care for their pets by providing food, resources, education, and access to veterinary and pet welfare services. They have a Pet Food Bank for low-income families and spay and neuter initiatives. They have multiple programs that can assist owners with veterinary bills from routine vaccine costs to emergency care. They also have a Small Animal Medical Program specifically set to help our animal friends that don’t get much screen time- like ferrets, bearded dragons, guinea pigs or even the occasional gecko!  To volunteer or donate, contact concernforanimals.org. 

We are running out of space but must give a quick mention for “Thurston County Humane Society.”   I spoke with Carlos Alaniz, Executive Director, and had no idea about all the services they provide for animals. They truly are a great organization and located in Olympia at thurstoncountyhumanesociety.org.

The Happy Dog Institute’s Summer School was in attendance at Dog Days.  They are in Olympia. They teach better communication, increased trust, enhanced training success and a deeper understanding and interpreting dog body language. Who doesn’t want to know these things?  You can visit happydoginstitute.com to learn more. 

Three more quick mentions

Fences for Fido also had a booth. They are Changing lives with One Fence, One Family, One Dog at a Time. This organization eases the frustration and loneliness of dogs living a chained existence by building fences for families at no cost: simply to help a dog live a chain-free life. They build about 10 fences a month.  If you would like to know more contact fencesforfido.org. 

Kovas’s Legacy Dog Training was established in 2023 and gives private sessions for all your training needs. Email: kovaslegacy@gmail.com or call or text:  253-254-9278. 

Face Paint by Skye, she is a local artist with over 10 yrs. experience doing face & body painting, glitter tattoos, balloons, airbrush to name a few talents. She did approximately 40 faces or tattoos on Saturday.   She does birthday parties, school events, fundraisers, festivals, holiday events and one-on-one. Contact her at Face.Paint.By.Skye@gmail.com.

I hope even more people and dogs attend the Dog Days next year. See you there! 

Paws for Thoughts: “A Dogs love can make even the worst days so much better.”  

Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at pets@theJOLTnews.com.