Dog-Walk Fest, the fundraiser organized by a 7-year-old, is a huge success

Dog-Walk Fest, a community event organized by 7-year-old
Hayley Teich, raised $622 for the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation.

About 30 dogs, and even more people, participated in the
Sept. 29 fundraiser in the Ravenwood Park community near Seven Corners.

Hayley, a second-grader at Bailey’s Elementary School, explained
how she got the idea for Dog-Walk Fest: “I just got back from a walk with my
dog, and I really like dogs. Our dog is from Lost Dog Rescue, so I thought
maybe we should have a charity to raise money for rescue dogs.”

The people and dogs took a group walk, then competed for
prizes—like doggie toys and treats—for the best dog trick, best-behaved dog, and
cutest dog. There were drawings for prizes, too. The gifts were donated by the PetSmart on Route 50.

Mindy, owned by Jana Dattilo and trained by Theresa
Schwerin, won a prize for the best trick, while Cody, owned
by Lisa Abbin, won in the best-behaved category. The judges, Hayley and her brothers, Maxwell and Zachary, couldn’t decide on a cutest
dog, though. “They were all too cute,” said their father, Rob Teich.

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue saves dogs and cats from animal
shelters, gets them neutered and spayed, takes care of their health issues, places
them with foster families, and finds permanent homes for them. Animals with
special needs live on the foundation’s farm in Summerduck, Va.  Since the
foundation was created in 2001 by Pamela McAlwee and Ross Underwood, the owners
of the Lost Dog Café restaurants, it has found homes for 15,000 dogs and cats.