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Dog Wash Fundraiser 2010 |
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This is the second year that we have held a Dog Wash fundraiser at the Angourie Street Vet Clinic in Yamba. Karen the Vet and her two Vet Nurses worked all day without pay to help WIRES. The Vet saw every dog and gave them a free dental check as part of their pampering. They organised the advertising for the dog wash, “hounded” their supply companies to donate the array of doggy items that were given out all day to the dog owners as they arrived. There were balls and Frisbees, leads and shampoos galore. They also organised some great doggy goodies and made up a raffle with Brian and Sue selling tickets on the day. Barbara started weeks before the wash, liaising with the Vet, the local media and of course, rounding up the willing
helpers needed for the hard work of towelling dry, then blow drying every dog after they had been shampooed and
rinsed in the warm hydro bath.
The dryers were industrial hair dryers made for the job and packed a punch of warm air. The dogs loved being dried and it was nice and quick in the cold weather, but, they had to be careful not to aim the dryer in the wrong direction - one of our members found the hot air was capable of sending all sorts of (personal) paraphernalia flying through the air – which was then retrieved and returned to the owner by one of the workers further down the line! They say many hands make light work and so it was when more than ten WIRES members spent all day, on and
off, up to their arm pits in soapy water or bent over, drying ninety nine dogs! Held on 3rd July, it was expected to
be cold and it had been raining, but on the day, the sun was shining and no wind, which made the wet sleeves and
pants of the Volunteers a little easier to bear.
All of the dogs were well behaved – no fighting and plenty of getting to know you, nose to nose rubs. While waiting for the return of their pets, many owners availed themselves of the scrumptious cakes, made by several members, which were served with tea or coffee. The Hot Dogs with cheese and choice of sauce were also popular, with the food table being manned all day by Heather, who did a wonderful job of feeding everyone. So, the long and the short of it all – the dog wash was a huge success – a fun day for everyone, with lots of laughter - where the dogs, the dog owners and the workers, all enjoyed the dog wash, the food for humans, the great company. We thank our members who worked so hard, Karen the Vet and the community – without their support this day would not happen. Thanks also to Andrew, who did some great advertising for the dog wash on radio 2GF. This means that all the bad backs that followed, all the washing and drying of the oh so many wet towels that carried the shampoo smells of a hundred dogs, were all worth while, because after all expenses were paid, this year’s dog wash, raffle and food table, enabled Barbara to bank a very welcome amount of $2,020. Woof Woof. |
