Pet Day draws poodles despite puddles

Tom Hickerson of Huntsville and Melissa Timcoe let their standard poodles interact with one another.(T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

A poodle party was just one gathering of furry friends one could find at the fifth annual Celebration Pet Day, held this year at the Bedford County Agriculture Center.

The event, a fundraiser for the Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association, was an opportunity for pet lovers from all over to come together for a day of family -- and pet -- fun. The celebration featured demonstrations, educational vendors, and a pet show, among other things.

Miniature donkeys, snakes and hairless rats and several other creatures joined the dogs for the local celebration. And all pets in attendance seemed to brave the rain quite well. Of course, the covered arena didn't hurt matters.

"I think it went well considering it was pouring buckets of rain," said Cheryl Richardson, one of the event's organizers. "We were also competing against the agility competition (at Calsonic) and a dog show in Murfreesboro. I think the rain kept some people away that usually come, so we did pretty well, but we were down."

Though several folks in attendance were locals, there was a fair share of out-of-town participants.

"We come here for this show every year," said Patty Davidson of Estill Springs, who came with her family and their dog, Mattie.

The day's highlights included a performance by Shelbyville K-9 unit officer Tracy Nelson and her sidekick, Remy, as well as a demonstration by Nashville K-9s.

"Everybody loved that," Richardson said.

If K-9s weren't your cup of tea, the celebration featured miniature donkeys on display and also had a pet show, with one class for the non-dog creatures. That class was won by David Vincent and his ball python snake.