Egg hunt is going to the dogs
KATHLEEN DRISCOLL
SPECIAL TO POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Easter egg hunts have gone to the dogs. Well, at least this one has.
Dogs and their owners can hunt for Easter eggs as a team during the sixth annual St. Catharines Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs, taking place Friday at Burgoyne Woods Park beginning at 10 a.m.
The event acts as a fundraiser for National Service Dogs. The organization trains dogs to support children with autism, veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and various other demographics. The funds raised for the event go back to National Service Dogs’s base in Cambridge, Ont., where canines are trained to service people across the country.
“The St. Catharines Easter egg hunt is one of six different hunts in southern Ontario,” says National Service Dogs events and communications co-ordinator Rochelle Barber. “The first one took place in Oakville 19 years ago, and it blossomed from there.”
It was attending the Oakville version of the event with her Australian shepherd Maggy seven years ago that inspired local organizer Marcia Belchior.
“I thought this would be neat to bring to St. Catharines,” says Belchior. “I wanted to go places that I could bring my dog Maggy.”
Sadly, Maggy did not live long enough to see the first egg hunt for dogs in Niagara, but Belchior was still able to bring the event here with the help of her friend and coorganizer Marcedes Vallance.
The event fills a gap Belchior says is needed in St. Catharines.
“There aren’t a lot of events you can bring your dog to (in the city),” she says. “(The event) is a good opportunity to connect with fellow dog owners in St. Catharines and have fun.”
To participate, dog owners must bring their dog and register starting at 10 a.m. (or ahead of time online) for $25 and receive a prize sheet. Participants are encouraged to raise additional donations, as the more they raise the more prize sheets they receive.
Starting at 11 a.m. in a taped off portion of the park, dogs and their owners can begin searching for plastic eggs. Inside each egg is a dog treat (for the dog) and a sticker (for the owner’s prize sheet). After the prize sheets have been filled with stickers, participants can exchange the sheets for prizes.
The event has many prizes up for grabs. The grand prize is a round trip train ride for two from Toronto to Ottawa donated by Via Rail for the participant who raises the most money for National Service Dogs. There is also a memorial egg in honour of Belchior’s dog Maggy. The finder of the egg will receive a hockey stick signed by the Niagara IceDogs.
Belchior says last year’s egg hunt raised almost $4,000, and she hopes the event raises even more this year.
The egg hunt proceeds rain or shine on Friday. For the egg hunt, dogs should be kept on a leash and remain in the taped off area.