5th Annual Bark For Life To Take Place On Saturday  

Bark For Life of Delaware County will be held Saturday, September 29th at Morrow’s Meadow in Yorktown. Photo provided.Bark For Life of Delaware County will be held Saturday, September 29th at Morrow’s Meadow in Yorktown. Photo provided.

By: Tara Whitehead—

Yorktown, IN—A head tilt to let you know they’re listening, a furry paw on your hand to show you how much you are loved, a wagging tail to let you know just how excited they are to be near you. Dogs are more than pets, they are family, and they take care of us as much as we take care of them. This is why we Bark For Life.

The 5th Annual Bark For Life of Delaware County will be held Saturday, September 29th at Morrow’s Meadow in Yorktown from 9am to Noon.  Participants will enjoy visiting with our dog vendors and service providers including veterinarians, trainers, groomers, and rescue groups. Dogs will enjoy bobbing for bones, a bubble station, a lure course, and an agility course they are welcome to use. Entertainment includes a disc dog show and agility and rally demonstrations. Dogs can also win fantastic prizes by entering the musical sit, costume, or largest and smallest dog contests. Bark For Life also has an incredible silent auction with dog crates, beds, cat furniture, and other pet products, and event and restaurant certificates the humans will enjoy.

Registration is $20 for one dog and $5 for each additional dog. Humans are free. Pre-registration is available online or participants can register the morning of the event.

Registrants receive a dog bandanna, swag bag, and t-shirt while supplies last. All event proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

In addition to raising funds to support the important mission of the American Cancer Society, Bark For Life honors the many ways dogs help people with cancer. They provide emotional support and help patients and their families cope with every stage of cancer, from diagnosis to treatment and through remission. Therapy dogs are called upon by hospitals, treatments centers, and hospice programs to provide comfort and companionship. Spending time with a dog promotes healing in patients by lowering their blood pressure and heart rate, lowering stress, and improving their mood.

Dogs provide unconditional love and purpose. Their love never fails on a day when patients do not look or feel their best. Patients often report that having their own dog provides a welcomed distraction from the day-to-day worry and fatigue that comes with cancer, and just having to care for their dog promotes exercise and social well-being.

Dogs also help in the fight against cancer, as advancements in canine cancer research lead to breakthroughs in human cancer research. Comparative oncology studies integrate dogs who have naturally-occurring cancers with studies of new drugs and therapies that improve cancer treatments for both canines and humans. In just one recent example, researchers at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech are enrolling dogs with glioblastoma into a clinical trial to test an experimental drug that is showing promise for treating both dogs and humans.

There are many reasons to celebrate our canine companions, which is why Bark For Life is held in communities across the country. MidWest Homes for Pets, a division of family-owned Mid-West Metal Products in Muncie, is the local host for Delaware County

 

You may find Bark For Life on Facebook and the American Cancer Society event page.