PUHI — A Puhi park was transformed into a multi-faceted arena Sunday as members of the Dog Fanciers of Kauai hosted their play day, much to the amusement of local community residents as well as motorists passing on Kaumuali’i Highway.
PUHI — A Puhi park was transformed into a multi-faceted arena Sunday as members of the Dog Fanciers of Kauai hosted their play day, much to the amusement of local community residents as well as motorists passing on Kaumuali’i Highway.
With a variety of contests on the agenda, dogs and their owners were kept busy, as was the panel of judges, whose members had the unenviable task of deciding who was best in the respective categories of competition.
Occasional honks of approval accompanied by encouraging shouts punctuated the atmosphere of laughter as the dogs and their owners enjoyed the warm weather.
Former Kaua’i Police Department Chief George Freitas was enjoying the event from under the shade of one of the canopies that punctuated the park setup, keenly keeping an ear open for the event call his dog was involved in, and explaining that the event served as a fund-raiser for the future dog park that would be established on the grounds of the Kauai Humane Society facility in Kipu.
“There’s fences to build, and land to clear,” he noted, a task more formidable than the frolicking and fun that unfolded in the park.
When built, the dog park will be the island’s first.
In addition to a dog obstacle course, there were other competitive events, such as the dog-look-alike contest to see whose owner and dog looked the most like each other.
Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Rhoades, executive director of the Kauai Humane Society, served as the moderator and central coordinator of the day’s events, rattling off the events as quickly and expeditiously as possible to keep things moving at a lively clip. Another fun event involved dunking for kongs, or the dog version of the human apple-bobbing contest, where the dog would have to find a kong amidst a mini swimming pool that contained a bunch of kongs, but only one with the goodie inside.
Other games demonstrated the obedience-training effectiveness of the Dog Fanciers of Kauai training programs, with the one drawing the most awe the highest-jumping contest, an event welcomed by judge Ron Wiley.
“They don’t need us for this one,” he smiled. “They (the dogs) will decide this by themselves.”
Jumping was done according to weight categories, with the park audience enjoying the antics of both canine leapers as well as their owners, some of whom jumped the bar with their dogs.
With this kind of turnout for the fun event, organizers said they think the dog park at the Kauai Humane Society should definitely be one of the well-used facilities when it becomes reality.
