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Festival celebrates four-legged friends

Jessica Uttinger/Dog Fest 2009 was held at the Voice of America Park in West Chester Saturday afternoon, June 13, 2009. Dog Fest is held to educate visitors on responsible pet ownership and will be taking place again on Sunday 11am-5pm.

Photos: 2009 DogFest

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By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer Updated 8:34 AM Monday, June 15, 2009

WEST CHESTER TWP. — The smell of a few thousand wet canines wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of those attending DogFest Sunday, June 14.

The two-day event drew thousands of people and dogs to Voices of America Park for the celebration of all things dog.

Even as an approaching rainstorm threatened to cut the festivities short on Sunday afternoon, Kent Bromangen was showing off the talents of his border collie Allie. Allie ran through the festival’s agility course, dashing up and down ramps, leaping over hurdles and barreling through a tunnel. When she was finished, both Allie and Bromangen appeared a little winded.

“I had to slow her down because the ramps were getting slippery,” said Bromangen, who operates the Unleashed Agility School in West Chester Twp.

DogFest provided booths of food for both dogs and humans, and included several contests honoring the biggest, smallest, cutest, ugliest, and best-behaved dogs.

Bromangen said he had been a dog lover since he was 8 and got into training dogs for agility about 10 years ago after watching a display on television.

“It just looked like fun to me,” Bromangen said. “Whatever you are feeling, dogs will love you.”

Nine-year-old Katie Blevins and Teddy, her 2-year-old shipoo —a cross between a shitzu and a poodle — also braved the rain to take a run in the agility course.

Katie is the youngest member of the Middletown Dog Training Club, which includes more than 40 members and trains animals for shows. It also trains therapy dogs for patients in need of physical therapy. Katie said she is a fan of dogs because they are “cute and cuddly.”

“It’s great to have a fair that Teddy can come to, too,” she said.

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