By Meredeth Barzen

Here at Sidewalk Dog, we love a lot of things about Minnesota: the dog-friendly businesses, the lakes, the pretty scenery, the cheese. And since Sidewalk Dog’s executives are certified city slickers, we’re fascinated by the way that cheese is made. So when we heard that Michelle and Roger Benrud, dairy farmers based out of Goodhue who are part of the PastureLand dairy cooperative, had a new Blue Heeler farm dog named Duchess, we were intrigued. And when we heard that PastureLand was coming out with a new cheese called “Farmdog” inspired by Benruds’ previous Blue Heeler, Wylie, we knew we had to look into it. First, here’s what Benruds had to say about life with a real, live farm dog. Following that conversation, check out what PastureLand’s Steve Young-Burns had to say about his brand-new cheese.

Michelle and Roger Benrud, PastureLand Dairy Farmers

Wylie, the inspiration for PastureLand's new Farmdog blue cheese.

Sidewalk Dog: We heard your dog Wylie was the inspiration for Farmdog cheese. Could you tell us more about that?

Benruds: I think Steve had more inspiration for this than we did—he comes to our farm monthly for meetings and Wylie would always greet him as he got out of the car. Sometimes she smelled like a skunk she tried to wrestle, sometimes she was muddy/dirty from working, sometimes she’d even be clean. He enjoyed her greeting him and he was the one to make the connection between Blue Cheese and our Blue Heeler.

SD: What is a day on the farm like for Duchess? What are her main duties?

Benruds: She’s not officially trained, but Duchess has pretty well learned her duties on the farm. It’s nothing fancy—her instinct takes care of most of it—but we worked with her a bit as well.

Duchess helps us with getting the milking cows in from the pasture both morning and night. She also is responsible for making sure the cows leave the parlor after they are milked. During the time we had no dog between Wylie and Duchess, cows would just stand around and often poop in the parlor before they left.

Duchess absolutely loves casing cattle and has a lot of natural instinct for it. We are not by any means very skilled in training dogs, but they seem to pick things up quickly if they have the instinct. She is also a very good family dog—gentle with the kids and very friendly toward strangers. I do wish she’d be a bit more of a watchdog (she’d just as well show a stranger around the farm), but all in all, she’s a good dog.

Duchess, Wylie's predecessor at the Benrud farm.

SD: How does she add to the farm?

As mentioned above, helping with get cattle out of the parlor is very helpful. She is a good companion for us and the kids as well. We didn’t realize how much we miss having a dog until Wylie was gone and we had none.

Steve Young-Burns, PastureLand Dairy Cooperative

SD: Tell us about the Farmdog cheese—what was the inspiration for it? How would you describe the flavor and texture of the cheese?

SYB: I had wanted to create a blue cheese for a long time, and we have a world-class blue cheese plant in Faribault to work with, so I knew anything we made there would be top-notch. I knew I wanted a raw milk cheese, and I knew I wanted to honor the role that farm dogs play in the culture, atmosphere and work of American family farms. Blue Heelers are special because they get into their role so much. Wylie was a terrific herding dog, and Duchess is really starting to understand her role in the barn. She is earning her certifications as a dairy cow movement specialist and should be a great cow dog as she gets older.

I am in love with this new cheese. I think the best thing about it is that it is undoubtedly a blue cheese, but the blue serves to highlight the flavors in the milk itself. The blue is not overwhelming, it leads you to the other flavors in the cheese. Having said that, it’s really, really blue; almost green because the cheese is yellow from the grass-fed diet the cows eat, and the veins are blue. You do a double-take when you look at it because it’s green.

SD: Is this a limited edition cheese or do you plan to make it indefinitely? How often does Pastureland come out with a new cheese?

The label from Farmdog blue cheese.

SYB: We hope Farmdog Blue is a lifelong member of the PastureLand cheese family. We come out with one or two cheeses a year, depending on what’s going on.

SD: Do many of the PastureLand farmers work with farm dogs?

SYB: I think Benruds are the only ones with a herding dog right now, but dogs are definitely part of most pastured dairy farms. They do a good job getting the cows in from pasture, and moving out of the barn after milking.

SD: Where can people find Farmdog cheese?

SYB: Twin Cities shoppers can find Farmdog at most of the area natural food co-ops. Folks outside the Twin Cities metro can use the store finder on our website to find a store near them, or order online. [Ed. note: Some metro-area restaurants are now using Farmdog cheese on their menus, including dog-friendly spots like Clancey’s Meats and Lucia’s Wine Bar, both in Minneapolis.]

SD: Anything else you’d like to add about the cheese or farm dogs in general?

SYB: All of our education and product brand names are designed to remind consumers of where food actually comes from. We have cheeses named for several of our farm towns, and now with Farmdog, we begin to get people’s imaginations even closer to what happens on our farms every day. Dogs are really part of the family and they work side by side with our farmers to create the high quality butter and cheeses we make.

By Meredeth Barzen

A scene from the dog trick contest at Woofstock 2009.

“The Hiiiills are aliiiive …  with the sound of doooogieeeees.”

Yep, that’s right—Linden Hills Woofstock is right around the corner—Saturday Sept. 11th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to be exact. And first things first: Sidewalk Dog is going to be there with bells on.

In fact, Sidewalk Dog, Pampered Pooch Playground and K9 Connection will be be providing a warm water dog wash in the Sebastian Joe’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shampoo is being provided by Topline Canine Care (a local company, natch), and all money raised will go directly to The Pet Project, which which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing (you might also recognize them as the fabulous beneficiary of last week’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued ). If it’s too cold for sudsies, we’ll be playing fun doggie games in the parking lot all day long. There might even be some yummy coffee and treats from Sebastian Joe’s.

A happy customer at last year's Sidewalk Dog-sponsored warm-water dog wash.

But now that we’ve dispensed with the business, let’s talk about the event, which doubled in attendance from 2008 to 2009 according to Lauren Crandall of Pixie Song Events, which produces Woofstock. Last year, “it seemed like EVERYONE had a dog, so the numbers really were astounding,” Lauren says. “As a result, we’ve closed off more real estate this year for more dog events. Bob Bayers of Bayers Hardware is closing off his lot, which is giving us a huge amount of space for more events and safe, car-free mingling.”

All your favorites will be back, including C&E Dog Training with an agility demonstration and a Pint-Sized Play session from Fresh Air Training so smaller dogs can get in on the fun. “We’ll have live music again this year, and dog trick shows for ‘amazing’ dogs, as well as a trick event for ‘average dogs! New stuff we like includes Zen Pooch Doga (yoga with your dog) sponsored by K9 Connection, and a dog/owner photo booth sponsored by Pampered Pooch Playground. And we love that Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) are setting up tents in the Dunn Bros parking lot and having their trained therapy dogs read along with any children that would like time to cozy up with a friendly fido and a good book,” Lauren says.

And don’t forget to stop by that dog wash—we’ll see you there!

The Dog Perk's booth at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair.

By Meredeth Barzen

You know that old saying that comes up every year around State Fair season? “At the Fair, you can find anything imaginable on a stick.” Well, thanks to The Dog Perk’s Tony Waara, that saying has applied to treats for both people and dogs for three years now. Tony’s the creator of Dog Biscuit on-a-stick, which he sells out of his Dog Perk booth located inside the Fair’s Pet Center (located on the northeast corner of Underwood and Murphy in the south center aisle). Type “The Dog Perk” into the State Fair website’s “Merch Search” for more info.

Like all brilliant ideas, Dog Biscuit on-a-stick has one heck of an origin story, which Tony was kind enough to share with us:

“Three years ago, we started our company [The Dog Perk's primary purpose is to sell T-shirts, bandanas and other products for dog lovers] and applied to be in the State Fair. Like all Minnesotans, we figured it would be years [until we were approved]. The Fair called two weeks later and two weeks before the start of [that year's] Fair. We were excited and overwhelmed, considering we had just started our company.

So, naturally, you think ’something on a stick.’ We first thought ’shirt on-a-stick’ and then it popped into my head—dog biscuit on-a-stick! So with a leap of faith, we placed a huge T-shirt order and prayed people would like our shirts.

The famed Dog Biscuit on-a-stick.

The first year at the Fair, we maybe sold a hundred biscuits. The second year, we put a coupon in the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book. With nothing to reference, we figured [we'd sell] maybe 100 or in our wildest dreams 150 a day. The first day I brought 50—my wife Amy was coming later with more. I walked in and in the first 15 minutes, all 50 were gone and I was on the phone to Amy screaming ‘Bring everything! There are people everywhere with coupons!’

Amy had to fight through the crowd to get to our booth where there were people waiting and waving coupons. We ran out of biscuits the first two days, so she and a neighbor began baking non-stop for nine days—the treats are made by hand, no mixer. Their hands were numb for the next month. We ended up selling 750 a day and total of 10,000 that year. We are planning on selling 15,000 this year along with our bandanas and T-shirts.”

The Dog Perk has another Blue Ribbon coupon this year, so you know the demand will be high again. So get down to The Dog Perk’s booth early to treat your furry friend to the hottest biscuit ever to grace a (rawhide) stick!

Bone Adventure served up some special sushi squeaky toys and treats. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Well, folks, we’ve done it again. It was touch-and-go for a bit with rain in the forecast, but our friend and fellow dog lover Jonathan Yuhas (KARE 11 weather guru) called in a favor and held off the rain for the evening. We’re proud to report that Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued was a smash success. During Wednesday’s festivities, close to $1,000 was raised for our fabulous beneficiary, The Pet Project. Click here if you missed the party but would still like to donate to this noble cause.

Big thanks to our co-host, the lovely Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown (and may we take this opportunity to remind you that their expansive patio is always dog-friendly), and to our sponsors as well: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy.

Make no mistake—serious fun was had by all. And if you weren’t able to make it and need further proof, Sarah Beth Photography snapped some great photos. See for yourself!

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Bug Duds' Dorothy Grinolds shares a roll with gal pal Ladybug. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Sidewalk Dog editor Meredeth Barzen strikes a pose with a tray of hand-rolled dog-friendly maki sushi. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

This little one was particulary well-dressed for the occasion. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Jack slipped into a pleasant food coma after feasting on some doggie sushi and ice cream. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Paw Reader and professional actress Peggy Kelly informs a human about her hound's future. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

By Meredeth Barzen

Melissa, a one-year-old AHS cat available for adoption from the group's Buffalo facility. Says AHS' Tracie Jacobson: "She was a stray and was brought to us by a man who found her roaming his neighborhood. Shortly after her arrival, she gave birth to a litter of kittens, some of which have already been adopted or are currently available for adoption. Melissa is an incredibly sweet kitty who is just so ready for a new home."

Yes, we know. The name of the website is Sidewalk DOG, not Sidewalk Cat, but the fact is, we get the warm fuzzies for pretty much every animal we see (except for cockroaches … ick … ). And when Sidewalk Dog was invited to tour the Animal Humane Society (AHS) as part of a media open house last month, we were informed of a cat overpopulation problem that broke our little puppy-loving hearts and compelled us to give a shout-out to the feline side of the pet world.

So here’s the scoop. There are WAY too many cats in the world today, and not enough happy homes for them. “This has been an ongoing issue for many years, not just at AHS, but throughout Minnesota and throughout the U.S. as well,” says Tracie Jacobson, public affairs manager for AHS. According to Tracie, this problem is due partly to a lack of spay/neuter practices among cats, and partly because many cats—unlike dogs with their leash laws—are allowed to roam freely about the neighborhood and get frisky with other unsterilized cats.

“In comparison to this time last year, adoptions for all cats have gone down 10 percent and intake has increased by 5 percent,” Tracie says. “If the trend continues, we will increase the number of cats taken in in 2010 over 2009. In 2009, our intake of cats was 20,646; in 2008 it was 21,344. In 2009, 52 percent of cats were placed; in 2008 it was 50 percent (placement includes adoption, release to partner animal welfare agency or reunited with owner). As of July 31, we have adopted 4,955 cats out of our five shelters.” She then points to a staggering statistic: Each day in the U.S., 10,000 children and 42,000 cats are born.

An AHS cat.

But it’s not just the numbers that are against our feline friends. “Cats have been tagged with a  second-class citizen status compared to dogs,” Tracie says. “People don’t value cats like they do dogs; they get dogs from breeders but find cats in parking lots or by grocery stores.”

Pet Haven, which subsidizes spay/neuter services and provides foster homes for cats, says it receives daily voicemail messages from people needing a new home for their cat, from animal control regarding cats who will be euthanized if they cannot go to a rescue group, from other rescue groups who cannot place all of the cats they have taken in, from people who have strays in their neighborhood and people who are overwhelmed with too many cats because their cats were not altered.

Cat (and dog) overpopulation continues to be the main reason for healthy, adoptable cats and kittens being euthanized today and every day,” says Mary Ann Cameron, Pet Haven’s cat adoption director. “The only way we will solve the overpopulation crisis and be able to lower the rates of euthanasia are through collaboration with other groups (we are members of Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare) and through spay and neuter.”

During “kitten season” (a period May through September, when shelters get an influx of kittens from the spring breeding season, when cats are allowed to roam outside), AHS takes in an average of 70 cats per day, seven days a week. “The really alarming thing is that kitten season has been extended from core summer months to include spring and fall,” Tracie says. During kitten season, adoption rates for adult cats go down—understandably, Tracie says, as people generally want to raise a kitten from youth to be a part of the family.

An AHS cat.

To counteract this problem, AHS has extended their “Double the Love” program, which used to take place only during kitten season, to operate year-round. Under the program, if you adopt a cat at AHS, the adoption fee will be waived for a second cat. “Since March 1, 2010, 590 cats have been adopted through the program, an incredible increase over 2009 when the program only ran during the summer months and 350 cats were adopted through the program,” Tracie says.” And AHS is currently working on more programs to increase placement of adult cats.

OK, so AHS and other shelters are doing what they can to help the cat overpopulation issue, but what can you, the concerned pet owner, do? Four things, says Tracie:

1) Adopt a cat, preferably an adult one.

2) Make sure the cat is sterilized.

3) Make sure the cat is microchipped AND wears identification tags—having both is  imperative. “The microchip is great, but it has to go with tag so they don’t get into shelter in first place,” Tracie says.

4) Before bringing a cat into the shelter, give AHS a call. “Our behavioral helpline might be able to talk them through issues they’re having with the cat so they don’t get to a situation where they have to surrender the animal,” Tracie says.

If you’re thinking about adding a cat to your pet family, here are some local rescues to check out:

• Animal Humane Society
• Pet Haven
• Caring for Cats
• Feline Rescue

Meredeth Barzen

Higgins takes a joyride in a mini ATV at Totally Kids.

We at Sidewalk Dog have a soft spot for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels like Luc, the original Sidewalk Dog who passed away this spring. So when Annie Seberson of Totally Kids Furniture and The Bean Bag Store in Bloomington e-mailed us about her shop dog, a Cav named Higgins, our hearts naturally melted. The more we learned about Higgins (is that a great name or what? We wish she had a doggie-sized tweed jacket, monocle and pipe to go with it … ), the more we loved her. Here’s what we learned about the little Cav who graces what her mom calls “the largest children’s furniture and toy store on the planet.”

Sidewalk Dog: Can you give us some background on your store?

Annie Seberson: Kay (my mother) is an interior designer specializing in children’s rooms and decided that opening a retail store would showcase fun and interesting products making them available to many more people. We are a woman-owned, mother/daughter team. We love what we do and have been serving the Minneapolis area since 1983.

SD: Tell us about Higgins. How did she come into your life?

AS: Higgins is a black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is 2 ½ years old. In 2008, my mother and I were having coffee at Starbucks and saw two Cavaliers cuddling with their owner on a bench on the sidewalk. We had never seen that breed before and were so impressed with their markings and disposition; we just had to get one. Higgins loves hiking and cuddling with anybody, anywhere, anytime. She especially loves a tummy rub.

SD: How long has Totally Kids had a shop dog?

AS: We have had a shop dog for nine years. Before Higgins, there was Cinder. Cinder was a mild-mannered, people-loving golden retriever belonging to an employee, Bob. Bob brought Cinder to work everyday for seven years. Cinder is now in doggy heaven.

SD: Do you let other dogs in your shop?

AS: Dogs are always welcome; we have doggie treats and a water bowl. Higgins likes to share.

SD: How does Higgins react to the customers? How do the customers react to her?

AS: Higgins loves everyone. Many of our customers are children and they are always excited to see Higgins.  Our staff are all enthusiastic dog lovers with pictures of their pups on their computers as screen-savers and pinned to the walls in the office. Higgins is the inspiration behind a Halloween costume party for dogs called “Wag-o-ween” that we host in October.

SD: What do you like about having a shop dog? Are there any frustrating moments?

AS: There has not been one frustrating moment with having a shop dog. I think everyone needs a shop dog. They bring joy, entertainment, and warmth to the work environment.

SD: Do you think having a shop dog draws people to patronize your store?

AS: Yes, I think people like being greeted by a friendly, fluffy, tail-wagging little dog.

By Meredeth Barzen

From "To the Rescue"—that's Sparky on the boat and Luna in the water.

Ever given your dogs voices or made up stories about the complex inner workings of their silent lives? It’s called anthropomorphizing, and don’t feel bad—we do it all the time too.

Max Haynes, a local photographer, author and web designer, has taken it one step further and created Tiny Dog Tales, a website featuring multiple “picture stories” about his pooches, Sparky and Luna, as well as the occasional guest dog protagonist.

Even a casual perusal of the website reveals Tiny Dog Tales isn’t a half-baked hobby or a quirky way to fill one man’s idle time. Breathtaking photos of Haynes’ striking dogs (and a few of their friends) take center stage, set to witty captions that evoke the playful, innocent spirit that we all project on our four-legged friends from time to time. “This is our big sister, Winkie,” Luna says of her cat sibling in “Stinkie Miss Winkie.” “Her breath smells like rotten fish. Yum!”

How would a person come up with such an inspired idea? We went to the source to find out:

Sidewalk Dog: Tell us about your dogs.
Max Haynes: Sparky is a double-crossed dachshund—half wire, half long, half black, half pie-bald—but all doxie! He’s six. Luna is a dorkie—half mini wired-haired doxie and half yorkie. She’s eight months old.

Max Haynes with his dog Luna.

SD: Where did you get the idea for Tiny Dog Tales?
MH: Sparky wrote a story about life after death called “A Dog’s Guide To The Hereafter” and when Luna came into our lives, he decided to document their adventures together. Since I am a web publisher and a children’s book author, I decided to combine the two into TinyDogTales.com.

SD: How do the stories come about? Do you get an idea for a story and stage the photos to depict it, or do you take the photos and then create a story around what you’ve captured?
MH: Following the dogs around with a camera is like panning for gold; you never know when you’ll hit treasure. I take my cues from new circumstances and nice light and usually just see what happens. I look for themes to build around after the pictures are taken.

SD: When did you officially launch the site? How has the reception been so far?
MH: It went live on July 1st and so far we’ve had 8,750 visitors, so it’s a pretty good start. That’s about 275 a day for the past 30 days, I expect it to be 10 times that in six months.

From "The Rules."

SD: Are you thinking of expanding Tiny Dog Tales in any way?
MH: There is much more planned. There will be e-cards that you can send as-is or put your own dogs into. There will probably be some things like T-shirts, and the ultimate goal is to develop books for young readers based on the lives of the dogs. I am currently working on a book for the Animal Wellness Center in Maple Grove about Sparky getting his teeth cleaned.

SD: If someone wanted to create their own dog’s Tale, what would that process be like?

MH: I have just finished a tale based on the three dogs of veterinarian Cassie Engmann and hope to do more of this type of thing. Sometimes I am hired to photograph a person’s dogs, like in this case, and sometimes I just happen to be in the right place at the right time, as in the case of Matilda [of "Flying Matilda"].

SD: What’s your favorite Tale so far?
MH: Wow, that’s tough, let’s see … perhaps “Stinky Miss Winkie,” since it portrays all three of my furry pals.

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Back by popular demand, Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown are hosting a yet another installment of the Sushi With Your Poochie shindig that we threw last month—and you’re invited!

During last month’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux parties, more than 150 dogs and 200 owners were treated to fresh sushi, fresh air and fun. For a complete overview of the event, click here to read Sidewalk Dog’s blog post on it. For photographic evidence, check out the complete gallery of photos that Sarah Beth Photography took at the event. If you attended last month’s event and Sarah caught you and your pooch in action, you can purchase the photo three ways: as a $5 low-resolution download ($1 goes to our beneficiary for the night, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program); a $20 print up to 5×7 ($3 goes to MNSNAP) or as a $35 print up to 8×12 ($5 goes to MNSNAP).

Anyway, the event was such a hit that we’re holding it again! On Wednesday, August 18th, we’re throwing Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued! Same time, same place. All your favorite parts of Part Deux are back, including the doggie sushi, the lovely Paw Reader Peggy Kelley and Tiger Sushi 2’s amazing human happy hour treats. This time around, we’ll have doggie ice cream from Pumphouse Creamery to help our four-legged friends beat the August heat, and our beneficiary will be The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. Click here for ticket info.

Since we worked out the kinks for our July event and, as promised, turned it into “a well-oiled fun machine,” we’re giving you another opportunity to see what all the buzz is about. Here are some highlights to look forward to:

• The sushi artists at Tiger Sushi 2 are once again hand-rolling special dog-friendly maki sushi for our four-legged friends! And, for the first time, doggie ice cream will also be available to help Spot beat the August heat.
• Paw Reader and professional actress Peggy Kelly is back to inform you what lies ahead in your pet’s future.
• In addition to being able to order off Tiger Sushi’s amazing happy hour menu, which the restaurant is offering for the entire event, you can purchase ready-to-eat boxed sushi from a table on TS2’s beautiful patio.
• Bone Adventure will have special rawhide sushi treats, chew toys and other whimsical products for sale.
• A small portion of ticket proceeds will go to our fabulous beneficiary, The Pet Project, which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing. The Pet Project will also receive part of the proceeds from all paw readings and $1 from each of Tiger Sushi’s fabulous martinis (Ninja Jinga or or Pomegranate Empress, anyone?) sold that night. Please note The Pet Project requests that you NOT bring a food donation to this particular event. You can donate at the event, or support them by purchasing raffle tickets, paw readings and those yummy martinis.
• We’d love to see you, with or without your pup!

The Deets

What: Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued, an encore on-leash social event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2

Date: Wednesday, August 18th.

Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Location: Tiger Sushi 2’s gorgeous patio at 2841 Lyndale Ave. in Uptown Minneapolis. (Free parking is available after 4 p.m. in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)

Cost: $15/person in advance; $18 at door if not sold out ahead of time.

Sponsored by: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy

Beneficiary: The Pet Project

By Meredeth Barzen

It’s a good time to be a dog in the Twin Cities. With more and more dog-friendly restaurant patios, dog-friendly stores and lovely pet boutiques popping up every day, that much is obvious. But what you might not realize is that our area is on the verge of a dog park explosion, with multiple new parks either proposed, being built or newly completed. And when you take into account the many existing dog parks where our four-legged friends can romp, play and socialize, it’s a very good time to be a dog indeed. Here’s an update on some of the newest additions and potential players in the dog park scene:

The newly completed Brookdale dog park.

Brookdale Dog Park, Brooklyn Park: COMPLETED!

This new off-leash park at 7650 June Avenue North was built just two weeks ago by the employees of the Brooklyn Park Home Depot, which also donated the fencing and supplies for the project. The City of Brooklyn Park installed lighting, signage, other amenities and a drinking fountain for the city’s estimated 6,000 to 10,000 canine residents. A $3.00 daily use fee is required or a current Brooklyn Park dog license, which non-residents can obtain. Don’t miss the grand opening celebration Monday, August 16 with a “Leash Cutting” ceremony at 6 p.m and live music at 8 p.m.

Andover Dog Park: PROPOSED

Advocates of a proposed off-leash park for Andover, MN met with the Andover Park & Rec Commission on July 15 to discuss the issue—and they came armed with almost 450 petition signatures and four potential sites for the park. According to the group’s website, “The Park & Rec Commission thanked us for the presentation and asked for time to review the local dog parks and the four parks suggested. There will be another meeting in September to further discuss the Andover Dog Park project.” If you’d like to join the efforts, you can add your name to the petition or e-mail AndoverDogPark@gmail.com for more information.

Kingfield Dog Park, Southwest Minneapolis: PROPOSED

The proposal for an off-leash area in Southwest Minneapolis’ Martin Luther King Memorial Park is not without controversy: According to a July 26, 2010 story by the Star Tribune’s Randy Furst, some residents “believe the 18 1/2-acre park is hallowed ground, named for the greatest civil rights leader in American history, and not a place where dogs should run loose.” The story also reports that an informal poll held last month found 47 in favor of an enclosed dog park on the site, 30 against, and three maybes.

Says Brook Lemm-Tabor, an advocate of the park who is closely involved with the process, “The park commissioners at one point promised an off-leash park in every district. Our district, the sixth district, is the only one without a park. Also, we have the largest number of annual dog licenses purchased annually yet the lowest number of additional off leash permits. The parts of the park that we propose to develop are very under utilized by the general public. We have been agreeable to changes requested by the park board staff to review other locations within the park to further develop other under used areas. We have done outreach to the surrounding communities and received great support.” She adds that there are rumors the park board has earmarked some funds to get the basics underway, but the group will need to raise more to make the project work.

The Kingfield Dog Park advocacy group, a task force of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, has a very active Facebook page with updates and news. If you’d like to get involved, you can attend an open meeting on Thursday, September 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Park gym. Or, buy a snappy Kingfield Dog Park T-shirt to get the word out. You can also visit the group’s website for a long list of ways to help out.

Stillwater Dog Park: PROPOSED

Friends of Stillwater Area Dog Park (FSADP), which proposed this off-leash area at a yet-to-be-determined site, raised more than $700 for the dog park at a June 9th Yappy Hour at Smalley’s Caribbean Barbeque. “We are still plugging away at raising funds, which is our main obstacle at this point. We are seeking grants and corporate sponsorships,” says Allison McGinnis, FSADP president. “There is definitely a growing interest and need for a dog park in the Stillwater area. Area residents (including those in Wisconsin) currently drive to St.Paul and White Bear Lake area to exercise their dogs. Having a dog park in the Stillwater area would benefit the whole community.” For more info or to help this cause, visit the group’s Facebook page, e-mail Stillwater city officials to tell them you’d like a dog park in Stillwater, or make a donation here.

Victory Prairie Dog Park, North Minneapolis: COMPLETED!

North Minneapolis dedicated a brand new dog park at 47th and Sheridan Ave. N. last month, christened the Victory Prairie Off-Leash Recreation Area. “The dog park will not only provide dogs with a safe place to play and exercise, but also a way for the Northside neighbors to come together,” said Jon Olson, MPRB District 2 Commissioner before the dedication. “We appreciate all the work the Webber, Camden and Victory neighborhood associations and many other residents did to help us pull this project together.” Both off-leash recreation area permits from the MPRB and pet licenses from the City of Minneapolis Animal Care & Control are required to use the park, the first of its kind in North Minneapolis.

St. Paul Dog Parks: PROPOSED

STPdog (St. Paul Dog Owner’s Group) is an informal advocacy organization working to bring more dog parks —or, as STPdog calls them, “parks for people with dogs”—to the city of St. Paul. Led by Jan Carr, who is tireless in his efforts, the group’s members include animal communicator Lena Swanson, The Canine Coach trainer Maureen Haggerty and Wendy Harter, owner of Dog Days doggie daycare. And they’ve done their homework: The group has put together a thorough breakdown of dog parks in St. Paul by the numbers. If you’d also like to see more dog parks in St. Paul, you can join the group’s e-mail list, Google discussion group and/or Facebook group.

By Meredeth Barzen

Animal lovers braved the cold last winter for an ARC Petland protest.

If you subscribe to Sidewalk Dog’s handy-dandy newsletter (and if you don’t, you should: Sign up here), you’ll recall that we often promote the Animal Rights Coalition’s protests of Petland stores. ARC holds these peaceful demonstrations to protest Petland’s policy of buying animals from puppy and kitten mills, which often keep their animals in inhumane conditions and practice irresponsible breeding. Though organizations like ARC are doing their best to educate the public on this issue, the implications of buying animals from pet stores are still far from common knowledge, so we asked Dallas Rising, program director of ARC and founder of Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota, for some clarity.

SD: Tell us about the Petland issue.

DR: Petland is the largest national chain of pet stores that sells puppies and kittens from mills. I am leading the Minnesota effort to put pressure on stores here to change their policy on that. Twenty-eight Petland stores have closed since 2008. This is in part due to boycotts and protests.

What steps have you taken to get them to stop buying from puppy mills, and how successful have those steps been?

I have written to the owners and attempted to get them to talk with me about this issue—they have ignored all of my communications. We do regular peaceful demonstrations outside the stores, leaflet, run a Facebook page, and have done call-in days to the national headquarters. [This month's protest happens Sunday, August 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the St. Paul Petland on Hudson Rd.]

Does Petland still buy from puppy mills? If so, what’s the next step to try to stop it?

Yes, they do. [We have to] keep the pressure on, keep educating consumers and encourage people to adopt dogs and cats from rescues and shelters—not to buy from pet stores.

Where are you focusing most of your energies? Public education? Policy? Legislation? Other avenues?

We are strictly about public education and pressuring the stores to stop what they’re doing. There are groups who work on legislation…we support them and they support us.

Why focus on Petland as opposed to other pet stores that stock from puppy mills?

They’re the biggest chain—there is a national effort.

What can a concerned pet parent do to help the cause?

I think that the notion of animals as property instead of individuals with feelings, needs, and the ability to suffer is a huge part of the puppy mill problem. When dogs and cats are considered property and commodities, their interests are compromised. If people want to help, here are things they can do:

• Boycott Petland and ask others to do the same
• Join our Facebook page for updates (Minnesotans Exposing Petland)
• Join us at demonstrations, which are posted on the Facebook page or e-mail me at dallas@animalrightscoalition.com
• Make a donation to help pay for the permits we need to hold a demonstration. For $20 you can sponsor a demonstration. Donations can be made though the Animal Rights Coalition website, checks can be sent to us or people can make a donation at the demonstrations.