Tails to Trails shapes up as Fido fest fantastique

It's that time of year again! Cocheco Valley Humane Society is gearing up for Tails to Trails and our 21^st annual walk for the animals. This year's event, which will once again be hosted by Mark Ericson and Karen Kiley from WOKQ, is taking place on Sunday, May 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of the Strafford County Courthouse in Dover, N.H. All animal lovers are invited to attend!

Led by adoptable dogs from the shelter, the walk kicks off from the courthouse at 12:30 p.m. and follows a 1-mile trail through the woods and along the Cocheco River. A shorter ½ mile loop on a paved road is also available for participants looking for a less challenging walk. Keep your eyes open along the walk route for a chance to win special prizes!

Online registration for the walk is open now at www.cvhsonline.org/dogwalk.cfm. Walkers are encouraged to make their own online fund-raising page which can personalized with photos and stories and shared to friends and family via email, Twitter, and Facebook. The success of this event, which is the largest fund-raiser of the year for CVHS, depends upon the amount of pledges collected by walkers. Prizes will be awarded to the top adult and youth (under 16 years of age) individual and team pledge collectors. Prizes are also available at a variety of fundraising levels, including a CVHS logo fleece jacket for walkers who raise $1,000 or more for the animals. For a complete list of prizes, visit the CVHS website.

A variety of vendors will be onsite during the event in the Barkin' Market and demonstrations will be happening throughout the day. Thanks to the generosity of Holy Rosary Credit Union, CVHS will be offering a raffle for 2 tickets to a Red Sox game. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on the CVHS website or at the CVHS retail and raffle tent during Tails to Trails. The winner does not have to be present at the dog walk to win.

This year also marks the return of Canine Capers, a fun dog show starring you and your pet! The Canine Capers is open to all ages and includes three competitions for dogs: best kisser, best costume, and musical sit. Guest judges will be on hand to pick a winner in each contest. Do you think your pet has what it takes to win a trophy? Compete in one contest or enter them all! There is no cost to participate in the Canine Capers but a donation to the shelter is appreciated.

Whether you're a dog lover or cat person, Tails to Trails has something for everyone. Don't forget to bring Fido! All dogs are welcome as long as they are at least 3 months old and are up-to-date on their vaccines. Dogs must be leashed at all times. If you don't have a dog, consider taking part in the walk in memory of a past pet or in honor of a pet at home. Every dollar we raise at this event makes a difference! We hope to see you on May 31 at Tails to Trails!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cockatoo, a cat, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322.