Photo Essay: Dog Days at the Dome

The big dog’s tongue slapped up against my camera lens with a wet thwack.

Having said his hello, the bully breed sprinted down the Metrodome councourse, manically sniffing his large, small and mid-sized canine pals.

I wish my lens and shutter finger had been fast enough to have caught that moment, but – despite the central subjects’ high speeds – I managed to catch a number of other decent shots at this winter’s last Dog Days at the Dome. The event attracted a large crowd of dogs and their caretakers on Thursday, March 5.

Many good-natured large dogs were there, such as this grey Great Dane.

There was a designated Small Dog Area, although it seemed to go almost completely unused. Instead, the dozens of small dogs who came mixed in the main concourse with their larger peers.

Some of the small dogs — like my rather timid Bichon-Poodle mix, Scoops — were a bit scared by all the commotion, and so they sought refuge along the sidelines. This nice couple lathered scared little Scoopers with affection and love.

Other small dogs, like this rambunctious Corgi, wholeheartedly threw themselves into the festivities.

When the action got to be too much, many owners picked up their charges for a break.

With an entry fee of only $1 per dog and free parking, the Podium Sports Marketing-sponsored event offered a rather cheap way for people to create happy memories.

Shelly Newberg, with her 7-year-old Shih Tzu Oscar, also came to support The Pet Project‘s pet food drive. The nonprofit helps keep financially struggling folks with their pets by giving them pet food, basic supplies and access to medical care.