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‘Who’s going to be the winner?’: young Calgary canines get set for Puppy Stampede

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Young Calgary canines get set for Puppy Stampede
WATCH: Trying to herd animals around can be quite a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with the young ones. And that’s exactly what some Calgarians will be up to this weekend, at the Puppy Stampede. Gil Tucker has the story – Jul 25, 2019

You may have heard people say, “It’s like herding cats,” when they’re getting a bit frustrated trying to organize something and now some Calgarians are dealing with the challenges of literally trying to herd puppies.

They’re getting ready for the Puppy Stampede, which happens during this weekend’s Pet-A-Palooza event in Calgary.

“The Puppy Stampede is a race open to any dog of any breed under six months [of age],” Pet-A-Palooza organizer Jordan Illingworth said. “They compete in a 20-foot race.”
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The race takes place along a fenced-off course and keeping the puppies focused isn’t always easy.

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“When people are cheering for their favourite puppy, some of the puppies like to show off,” Illingworth said. “They’ll start jumping up and they’ll go to the first person with the best treats.”

Pet-A-Palooza is a free outdoor festival for pets held alongside Calglary’s Eau Claire Market, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 28.

 

Along with the Puppy Stampede, the event includes the Running of the Bulls — which sees French and English bulldogs racing against each other — and a 120-foot long mud pit obstacle course for dogs and their owners to tackle together.

And the Stampede isn’t the only event for the little canines — they’ll also be involved in puppy yoga sessions.

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“The humans do the yoga and the puppies kind of just run around and jump all over them,” Illingworth said.

Pet-A-Palooza donates booth space to many local animal rescue groups, working with them to help find new homes for animals up for adoption.

“They can come and fund-raise, make money for their charities and just bring awareness on the good work they’re doing,” Illingworth said.

More information is available on the Pet-a-Palooza website.

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