In honor of National Trails Day, the Paint Creek Trailways Commission will be hosting their inaugural “Tails for Trails” event on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at the Paint Creek Cider Mill.
“We’re planning a fun day for you and your pets. We’ve never done a dog-themed event, but because the trail is so popular with dog walkers, we thought we should celebrate our four-legged visitors,” said Friends of the Paint Creek Trail President Jim VanDoorn. The event features a dog costume contest, free craft, free face-painting, a dog parade on the Paint Creek Trail, training demonstrations, vendors, and adoptable dogs and cats from K9 Stray Rescue League and Heavenly Paws Rescue. The event is free, with a suggested tax deductible donation of $5 per family that will be split between the two rescue groups.
Goodison Veterinary Center is the event sponsor. “Because of our close proximity to the trail, many of our staff members and clients use the trail often, and they enjoy the beauty, convenience, and accessibility of the trail. We are very excited to sponsor and participate, and we’ll have some great giveaways at the event,” said Clara Pinkham, Office Manager. Oakland Township Parks and Recreation is providing a great free craft for participants. People can decorate a bandanna for their dog, using dog-themed stencils. Three different sizes will be available for decoration.

Official Trail Mascot Daisy Mae
Kristen Myers, Paint Creek Trail Manager, said that trail users have been requesting a dog themed event. “The trail receives a lot of use from dog walkers, eager to get some exercise for themselves and their pets. By celebrating our pets, we hope to encourage families to visit the trail, and see all that it has to offer. Our vendors will be providing freebies to our participants, and we’ll have some great prizes to give away. In addition, the event provides us an opportunity to educate our users regarding trail courtesy, maintaining control of your pet, and waste clean-up options,” said Myers.

Dogs on the Trail
The Trailways Commission is encouraging visitors to pre-register on their website, to ensure they have enough volunteers, supplies and prizes. Everyone who pre-registers will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card from one of the pet business vendors. For the safety of all visitors and pets, dogs must be licensed and up-to-date on immunizations.
For more information, and to register, visit http://paintcreektrail.org/wordpress/tails-for-trails
Photos Courtesy of Kristen Myers, Paint Creek Trail Manager