Live runway dog show benefits Robinson’s Rescue

On Saturday, March 3, at RiverView Hall starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be 20 precious pooches strutting their stuff down the runway. Each dog will be accompanied by their owner as they walk down the runway to the song their owner says best describes them. It’s all a part of the 9th annual Best in Sheaux fund-raiser held by Robinson’s Rescue.

Since 2008, Robinson’s Rescue, a nonprofit spay/neuter clinic, has been serving the community to help combat pet overpopulation. They provide free and low-cost spay and neuter services. Kirsten Howard, director of development at Robinson’s Rescue, says pet overpopulation is a huge problem.

“We have a huge pet overpopulation problem with feral cats, but also dogs and cats that are living on the streets,” she said. “And even dogs and cats that live at home. Sometimes they’ll get out and get pregnant, so then you have an unexpected litter of puppies or kittens and they can’t find a home for them, so they end up at the animal shelter, which is already overcrowded.”

For 10 years, Robinson’s Rescue has been working hard to decrease the number of pets that are taken to animal shelters. Spay/neuter has proven to be the most effective and humane means of decreasing pet overpopulation. Through their programs the organization is visibly decreasing our community’s pet overpopulation problem. To date, they’ve completed more than 50,000 surgeries.

“We encourage everyone to spay and neuter their pets,” Howard said. “We offer it at an affordable rate because we realize that cost is a huge barrier preventing people from spaying and neutering their pets.”

The live runway dog show gives members of the community a chance to see adorable dogs rock the runway while also providing support for a great cause. Howard says the fund-raiser is really important for Robinson’s Rescue because it provides 20 percent of their annual revenue. All of the proceeds from the fund-raiser will go toward their spay/ neuter programs. It also helps pay for their Community Outreach Program, where they go door-to-door in local neighborhoods to speak with residents about their services.

“All of those efforts work together to teach people how important it is to spay and neuter their pets,” Howard said. “Also, it lets them know that Robinson’s Rescue is an available resource in the community. A lot of people know they should spay and neuter their pets, but they think it’s going to cost them a lot of money. They don’t know Robinson’s Rescue is available, and they can get it done for free or at a low cost.”

Originally, the Best in Sheaux fund-raiser was just a silent auction where attendees could also watch the Westminster Dog Show on TV. Howard says the event had such a big following so they decided to turn it into their own dog show. She says it is the only live runway dog show in North Louisiana. 2018 is the Year of the Dog so the show will follow that theme.

“I think people really enjoy attending the event because it’s unlike anything else that we have as a fund-raiser in our community.”

This year, 20 local dogs with all different breeds and backgrounds will walk the runway during the event. Howard says dogs can be entered into the show on a first-come, firstserved basis. All breeds are welcome to participate in the show. A small entry fee is required since the event is also a fund-raiser.

Owners can fill out entry forms with information on their dogs for the show. The forms include questions like, “What is your dog’s favorite treat?” Pet owners also get to choose a song that best describes their dog. The song will be played as the dog walks down the runway.

“It’s kind of like a pageant where we read their bio as they walk down the runway,” Howard said. “It’s a really fun production. People really love it, and they love showing off their dog.”

Among the doggy participants this year is Lizzie the Border collie. Her favorite treat is homemade tuna fudge.

“Lizzie is brilliant,” Howard said. “She actually attended our show last year as entertainment. She did tricks and agility demonstrations.”

Another contestant is Bananas the Boston terrier. According to the entry form, Bananas’ favorite trick is “snoring louder than a grown man.” Bananas will be strutting down the runway to “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani.

In addition to the lively runway show, guests will be able to participate in a raffle and 30-item silent auction. This year, they will be raffling off six amazing packages, including an In-Home Dining Package that allows the winner to dine at the Hilton’s Market 104 Restaurant once per month for a year.

At the end of the night, one furry friend will be named the Best in Sheaux. The community gets to vote for who they think deserves the title. Howard says it’s important for all their supporters to be involved in picking the winner. She loves this event because it gives Robinson’s Rescue the chance to thank the people that have helped their organization.

“The people that support us are so wonderful. We hope they take away [from the event] how important their advocacy is and that we truly appreciate them.”

More Information:

Tickets for the show are now on sale. To purchase your ticket, visit http://robinsonsrescue.org