COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Calling all dog-lovers! Community members can have some furry fun at the John Venezia Community Park, for Festival in the Bark. This is National Mill Dog Rescue’s second year hosting the event in Briargate, with the festivities starting at 10 a.m., ending at 2 p.m. Vendors, food trucks, games, and activities will be available, with 25 adoptable dogs looking for their ‘fur-ever’ home.
“Last year we had about over 400 participants, we’re hoping to ramp it up a couple hundred more this year,” Joni Williams, event and outreach coordinator, said. “We’ve got everything from a puppy Shih Tzu that is four pounds, all the way on up to Husky, huge 70-pound Husky, and everything in between, from Goldens to, we’ve got Westies, Yorkies, Malteses, mini Schnauzers, pretty much any type of a breed you can think of.”
National Mill Dog Rescue told 11 News, they’ve rescued over 24,000 dogs since they opened back in 2007. The search to find more widens, as the organization continues to grow.
“What’s new is we acquired a facility in Missouri, which has allowed us to rescue hundreds more dogs a month,” Williams explained. “A couple months ago, we reached a new record of 434 dogs in one month. We are growing at a rate where we can just rescue more dogs and get them into homes where they belong. We’re doing a lot more work with the community, vaccination, clinics, space, and neuter, that type of thing. We’re very, very blessed to be able to help in a larger way or have a larger impact… Through our enrichment, and I may tear up a little bit, through our enrichment program, our behavior program, and our vet staff, these dogs that don’t know how to be a dog… get healthy, they get happy, they build confidence, and they just flourish. So, the dog that you’re taking off the van in time is a completely different dog that has learned to love and have compassion and give us so much, even when we don’t deserve it, because of how they’ve been treated. It’s life-changing for all of us that work here.”
National Mill Dog Rescue is always looking for volunteers as the number of dogs continues to grow.
“We’re treat dispensing, butt scratching, humans,” Williams joked.
Click here to adopt, volunteer, or learn more about National Mill Dog Rescue.
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