Donna Collins
The dress up parade, with owners strutting their stuff with some of the best looking ‘mutts’ in the business, all squeezed into colourful costume, was the highlight of the popular ‘Fun Dog Day’ outdoor fundraiser show hosted by the Swakopmund Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) last Sunday.
Characters ranged from a Labrador dressed up like Bob Marley, a Pug wearing a Superman outfit, a Pit-bull swaggering a pink Tutu, a mutt bandaged up like an Egyptian Mummy, a Boerbull in a gym outfit and lots more. A total of 47 entries took part in the day’s competition, which included a variety of categories such as the “Slobbering Champ”, Best Dressed, Scruffiest, Best Personality, and Best Wagging Tail, to mention some. Hills were the main sponsor of the prizes and the fun day has been going for over a decade. There was a wide variety of breeds which ranged from a long legged Great Dane the size of a donkey, a pure white standard French Poodle, ‘Sausage Dogs’, Staffies, a Boerbull, Swiss Alsatians, and Rottweiler’s right down to a tiny fluffy Toy Pom – they were all there.
Many of the dogs were SPCA rescues, and not all dogs entered for the different categories were thorough breeds, many were good old ‘pavement specials’ with loads of personality, and a story to tell. In keeping with tradition, a group of faithful volunteers took time to parade many of the SPCA’s ‘golden adoptables’ with the hopes of finding them new homes. A raffle draw with 400 tickets were sold. Amazing prizes included a week-end for two to Moon Mountain Luxury Tented Lodge, a Laramon Boat Cruise, a trip with Tommy’s Living Desert Adventures and an Alter Action Sandboading experience.
Apart from raising much needed funds for the SPCA’s mounting running costs, the day is also held to create more awareness for the animal shelter in Swakopmund, which operates as an independent animal welfare organisation.
Currently the SPCA is expanding its premises and building new kennels, with construction already underway to accommodate the growing need for the many strays they take care of, as well as providing bigger boarding facilities in Namibia’s holiday town during the busy holiday season.