CLEARFIELD – A dismal Saturday with cold temperatures and high winds forced the Mountain Laurel Kennel Club to postpone their popular Easter Bone Hunt from this past Saturday to Palm Sunday. The decision proved to be a good one as the day dawned bright and sunny and remained a perfect day for a bone hunt. Attendance was slightly lower due to the confusion of the change in dates and the fact that it was a holiday. Nevertheless, many folks were able to attend church and still make it at the last minute, in time to participate.
Dozens of dogs, big and little, old and young, gathered at the appointed hour in the Campground area of the Fair Grounds to hunt for eggs. This time, though, the eggs were not of the poultry variety, but were plastic eggs filled with doggie treats. Resident of Windy Hill Village in Philipsburg spent hours filling the eggs and preparing other treat bags for the participants.
Dogs and their owners launched out on signal to test their olfactory skills to locate as many eggs as possible. Some eggs contained a slip of paper announcing the finder was entitled to a prize. Forty prize bags and 3 major prize baskets were awarded, as well as a 50-50 drawing of $43 dollars for the winner.
The canines are to be commended for their excellent behavior. Many young pups were out socializing for the first time in their young lives.
Kennel Club President, Denise Long, commented, “exposing puppies to social experiences like this is one of the most important things a family can do to ensure that their puppy grows up to be tolerant and accepting of other dogs and humans. MLKC is dedicated to providing such opportunities.”
The Easter Bunny was on hand to pose with dogs and their people for photos, taken by Rick Evans Photography. For a closer look into the festivities, log on to the club’s Web site and click on the photo gallery. MLKC is a private, non-profit charitable organization devoted to educating the public about responsible pet ownership. For more information about becoming a member, check the website for an electronic application. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month at West Side Methodist Church in Clearfield at 7:00 p.m.
A young lad and his pug dog team up to find treat-filled eggs at the 7th annual Mountain Laurel Kennel Club Easter Bone Hunt. (Photo provided by Sue Kordish)
