Breitenbach Dog Show to support Police K-9 Association
Whether it is a young pup or an old dog, dog owners are invited to bring their pets and sign up for the Breitenbach Dog Show on Sept. 26.
Breitenbach Wine Cellars near Sugarcreek is well known for its many varieties of wine and food, but on Sept. 26 from 2-6 p.m., four-legged friends will take center stage for the annual Breitenbach Dog Show, which has become a huge hit since it first began 15 years ago.
“This event has turned into one of our favorite events of the year, and we always have a big crowd that makes it even more enjoyable,” Jennifer Kohler of Breitenbach Wine Cellars said. “We usually have between 70-90 dogs out on the patio and feature a large variety of different breeds. It’s a very relaxing and fun day.”
Dog registration will begin at 2 p.m. with the show kicking off at 3 p.m. Categories include Prettiest Female, Most Handsome Male, Best Trick, Smallest Dog, Largest Dog, Owner/Dog Lookalike and Best Costume.
While the dogs grab the spotlight, there will be additional activities including a vendor’s section that will feature plenty of items. Food and wine also will be available throughout the event.
Acoustic Co. will perform its acoustic show, but the real joy comes in the show’s proceeds going to benefit the Police K-9 Association.
The Police K-9 Association was established in 1985, shortly after the start of the Canton Police Department K-9 Unit. Original founding members created the bylaws to help obtain the equipment and training needed to be a successful K-9 team.
“Because they operate 100% on contributions and we recognize the incredible job these K-9 dog units do for our communities, we wanted the proceeds from our event to go to the association, and we usually raise in the neighborhood of $5,000 through our event,” Kohler said. “Not only is it a lot of fun for everyone, but there is also real purpose in coming out to support the show.”
While based in Canton, the Police K-9 Association supports dogs from neighboring counties. Because there are costs in starting and maintaining a successful K-9 program, city and county financial expenses often cut out needed equipment to maintain policing in other areas. That is where the Police K-9 Association assists these agencies, helping offset the cost of education, training, equipment and the medical needs of both active and retired K-9 dogs.
The Police K-9 Association assists K-9 handlers from more than 20 police and sheriff departments with nearly 50 K-9s active, retired and currently in training. The program and use of K-9 dogs continue to grow as the need continues to increase, as does each community’s responsibility to support these K-9 teams.
“We created this dog show to be able to give back to something we were passionate about, and hopefully many others share that same passion to support our local K-9 programs,” Kohler said, noting her father helped purchase the first K-9 dogs in the area a dozen years ago before there were any.
“It’s made a big difference, and his passion carried on, and we love all of the handlers who work with the K-9 units, as well as the dogs. They have done an amazing job serving our communities,” Kohler said.
As part of the dog show, the Police K-9 Association will have several K-9 dogs there. They will perform police dog demonstrations just prior to the dog show at 3 p.m.
The dog show also will feature six vendors who will offer items like dog T-shirts, photo booth opportunities, collars, handkerchiefs and other dog-related memorabilia. No preregistration is required, so dog owners can bring their favorite four-legged friends to the show and enjoy a fun day for a good cause.