When Queen Elizabeth I first penned the phrase, “every dog will have his day” way back in 1558, we’re pretty sure that she never envisioned how two Victoria entrepreneurs would have their own take on the line.
Still, Liz was famous for her love of animals and had a menagerie of spaniels, greyhounds, and beagles, so who knows? She may have just been too busy with the Spanish Armada to put on her own dog festival.
Luckily for the canines of Victoria, Leo Powell and Jordan Illingworth have found the time to put on the largest, funniest and most entertaining festival for dogs that one could ask for.
It’s called Day of the Dog and it’s a rollicking good time for dogs and their humans alike.
It all started about 14 years ago when the couple suffered a terrible shock when, living in Toronto, their Great Dane was poisoned by persons unknown.
“Thankfully, due to his size, he survived, but some other dogs in the neighbourhood didn’t,” said Illingworth. “But during that period, we discovered and were intrigued by the depth of services and products that were available for dogs.”
The couple initially decided to do an event featuring a showcase of vendors so that other dog owners could learn about what was out there for their canine friends.
That event was very successful and eventually morphed into not only an educational opportunity for dog owners but a festival for the dogs themselves. Day of the Dog is now celebrated in Vancouver, Calgary, Scottsdale, San Diego, Santa Monica and, of course, Victoria. Given its popularity, there’s no end in sight.
“It just keeps growing and we keep making it better. We’ve had a number of think tank sessions and came up with a whole list of great, fun ideas for the dogs,” said Illingworth. “We’ve incorporated a lot of those ideas into our festivals and the dogs (and owners) love it.”
For example, this year’s Day of the Dog will feature superhero-themed photo opportunities and an 80-foot pool party, complete with DJ and canine cabanas. There will also be dog races, and we’re not talking greyhounds here. Instead, the races will be run by the more vertically challenged members of dog society including wiener dogs, French bulldogs and corgis.
And for the pups who just want to chill out, they can tell their owners to sign them up for the doggy yoga sessions.
“We’ve had so much fun doing his event, and now we’re seeing dogs that have come to the event from its beginning as puppies that have now grown old but still come for the fun,” said Illingworth.
Those older dogs arrive with their humans and new puppies in tow, probably with the thought of showing their pups the ropes at the party.
“There have been some really memorable dogs and occurrences over the years,” said Illingworth.
“We had a couple rush up to us in Santa Monica in a panic because they had wanted to get their dog, a pup named Oliver Westside, into the snaggletooth competition,” said Illingworth. “Oliver had had a tough life and had been rescued from a kill shelter only to have to battle and beat cancer. We thought he deserved his shot, even though the event had just closed. He won, and when his picture was posted, (human) family members across the country were thrilled. He was famous.”
Of course, in addition to all the fun activities for the dogs, their humans can also check out the dozens of vendors to learn about what’s available for their canine family members.
“It’s a great time for everyone,” said Illingworth. “It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you bring dogs and people together.”
Day of the Dog in Victoria will take place on Saturday, Aug. 10 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Bullen Park. Make sure your pup marks the date on the calendar and it might be an idea to start training for the races.
