Waggin' train - Pooches line up in Clarksville to help military dogs overseas
The fourth annual K-9 Support Dog Wash at Dogtopia, in Clarksville, July 13 not only helped man's best friend get squeaky clean, but also helped their fellow four-legged friends working hard overseas.
Dogtopia, a dog day care and grooming franchise, has a nonprofit arm, K-9 Support, that works to collect money for military dogs and handlers working in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Owner Sue Dietrich was pleasantly surprised by the turnout.
"It exceeded my expectations. We were panicked; (fortunately) we had an extra portable tub that was brought in to keep up with the crowd," she said.
By day's end, which ran past the 3 p.m. ending time, Dietrich and her crew had bathed 51 dogs and raised $1,020.
In the next few weeks, Dogtopia will be purchasing supplies and shipping them overseas. Items such as coin vests, "doggles" (doggie goggles), booties to protect paws, lip balm (for the handlers and to keep the dog's noses moist), as well as snacks and toys will be sent.
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Dogtopia raises funds for military service dogs
Dogs of all shapes and sizes crowded into the waiting area of Dogtopia, in Clarksville. They sniffed each other, sometimes barked and growled at each other, and often hid behind their owners.
The dogs, and their owners, had come to the dog day care and grooming shop for baths. Not so momentous, when said like that, but it's what those baths were for that was the real attraction.
 July 13 was the first K-9 Support Dog Wash at the Clarksville Dogtopia, but the fourth annual event for the company. Dogtopia employees were on hand to give the dogs baths and trim their nails for a monetary donation, and all the money raised went to benefit a group of dogs often forgotten -- working military dogs in Iraq.
Sue Dietrich, who owns the facility with her husband Ron, said she plans to use the money raised to buy things for both the dogs and their handlers.
"One of our employees just came back from Iraq, so I plan to talk to him about what sort of things they need over there," she said. "But we've been given a list of guidelines of what to buy from Dogtopia, and we get to buy it ourselves. We're hoping to send some doggles (goggles to keep the blowing sand and sun out of the dog's eyes), booties for their feet to protect them from the sand, dog toys and some things for their handlers like chapstick."
In all, 51 dogs were bathed in four hours and more than $1,000 was raised for the working dogs in Iraq.
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"Canine 'spa' leaves kennel in the past" by Karen Nitkin of The Baltimore Sun, June 27, 2007
"Dogtopia offers pets a slice of paradise" by Emily Campbell of The Baltimore Examiner, June 23, 2007
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