Elizabeth Byers
Dixie, a Goldendoodle, receives a treat from Denise Burgandy, her owner. The four month old puppy attended the annual Dog Olympics hosted at the College of Veterinary Medicine Sept. 10. The event was hosted by the NC State Companion Animal Wellness Club to raise awareness about homeless animals and celebrate the human-animal bond.
The 25th annual Dog Olympics was held Saturday by the Companion Animal Wellness Club at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Next to the CVM’s open house, the Dog Olympics is the most popular event hosted by the college.
Students, faculty and community members attended the event to share their love of dogs and support local dog-rescue organizations.
Dogs of all breeds, sizes and temperaments competed in exhibitions of skill, including limbo, musical sitting and howling competitions. The State K-9 unit led a special tracking demonstration, and the American Kennel Club held an agility demonstration as well. Aside from events, a multitude of food trucks, vendors and rescue groups were present, selling food, dog treats, accessories and apparel.
“It is extremely enjoyable,” said Jackson Lessnau, a freshman studying statistics . “Being on campus, you can’t have your pets that you have at home, so getting to see all the dogs doing events is very cool.”
Although this year’s Dog Olympics hosted more than 2,500 people, the event has not always been so popular. Dr. Kelli Ferris, an NC State alumna and clinical assistant professor within the CVM, was among the few who have participated in the event since its inception in 1991. As faculty adviser to the Companion Animal Wellness Club, she helped supervise the event.
Ferris described how the event has changed over the years.
“[In the beginning], it was strictly fun and games with no outside demonstrations from rescue groups,” Ferris said. “The students would put on a fun day for people to bring their animals to campus, out in one of the pastures. We’re back on campus now, so it’s a much bigger event. This is really for the public to bring their personal dogs to compete.”
Third-year veterinary doctoral student and president of the Companion Animal Wellness Club, Laura Keener, also commented on the event’s popularity.
“I think that it shows that the vet school has a successful relationship with our community and that it has been reaching out and growing,” Keener said. “It’s a fun way to see your professors in their own element and to get to know people who care about animals in our community.”
Zoe Reep, an event volunteer and a sophomore studying animal science , reaffirmed Laura’s point.
“We are able to connect with people that we wouldn’t have had any interaction with otherwise,” Reep said. “I got to meet a number of professors, and I also joined the pre-vet team and the Companion Animal Club through this.”
The revenue from event admission goes to support the dog-rescue groups that attend. Hoping for people to adopt their animals, many rescue groups dress their dogs in colorful outfits and walk them around the veterinary campus to attract prospective families.
In addition to the adoption services provided by rescue groups, the American Kennel Club provided free Canine Good Citizen testing to attendees, allowing dogs to obtain a certificate for good behavior at home and in the community.
The Dog Olympics attracted many students and community members to the veterinary campus, which allowed for them to learn more about the veterinary college and how it worked.
“Oftentimes, people associate the college as a place where we only have very sick animals,” Ferris said. “We also celebrate health and wellness. Some of these dogs are dogs that were previous patients in our referral hospital. It’s exciting that something that started as a student fun day 25 years ago has become such a great annual tradition.”
More information about future College of Veterinary Medicine events and admissions can be found online through the College of Veterinary Medicine’s website.