Photo gallery from Dogs at Work Festival.
» Photos taken by Meredith Perdue, owner of & Unlimited Dogs, and brought to you by Downeast Dog News.

[From press release dated June 2, 2009]
On Friday, June 26th, Planet Dog hosted the Dogs At Work Festival, complete with a doggie parade from Brian Boru to Tommy's Park. The Festival was timed in conjunction with both Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWD), the nationally recognized day that was developed by Pet Sitters International, and the 1st anniversary of the Adopt plate campaign launch.

"At Planet Dog, we do so much more than bring our dogs to work every day," says Catherine Frost, Planet Dog's Brand and Product Champion. "So although in the past we’ve been inspired by the national holiday, we realized we needed to host an event in honor of all types of dogs, working and non-working dogs based on the multiple groups of dogs we serve through the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF)," adds Frost.

The Dogs At Work Festival's mission and purpose is to promote pet adoption and celebrate working dogs everywhere. It will include representation from the area's shelters and rescue groups, as well as assistance, therapy and other working dog organizations.

One of the event's biggest draws will be a special guest appearance by well known artist and author, Stephen Huneck and his dog Sally. He will be on hand to sign copies of his books during the Festival and later in the day at the Planet Dog Company Store.

"I certainly consider Sally a working dog," says Huneck about his canine companion and inspiration for his popular children's books. "She's my model and muse, but it's a pretty cushy job. We’re both thrilled to be invited to this really cool event," adds Huneck.

The event will kick off at 11:30 am with a doggie parade from Brian Boru to Tommy's Park in Portland and conclude at 1:30 pm.

At this free event for dog lovers and their canine companions, participants will be able to pat the bellies of sweet dogs up for adoption from local animal shelters and rescue groups. It will also include a police dog demo, an on-site Canine Good Citizen evaluator, face painting, a photo booth and great prize raffles. For more information, please visit www.planetdog.com/company_store/.

The day will also serve as the official celebration of the passage of Maine's newest specialty plate which will raise valuable funds for the Animal Welfare Program (AWP) and Help Fix ME. AWP will be on hand to show off the new design and encourage other animal lovers to join the 2,000 Mainers who pre-registered for the plate which will be available in the Fall.

"We wanted to take the opportunity to thank ALL the supporters of Maine's new "adopt" specialty license plate," adds Frost. "It was at last year's event that the plate campaign was kicked off."

Planet Dog is a locally-owned and globally-known philanthropic and environmental leader in the pet industry. The company’s commitment to the planet is exceptional. They create virtually no waste making their signature Orbee-Tuff® toys, which are manufactured in Maine and Massachusetts. On the local front, Planet Dog is a major sponsor of the Bayside Trail Development project. Their sponsorship includes the donation of 101 Dogwood trees that will be planted along the new 1.4 miles of trail.

The company has been recognized as one of the nation's Best Places to Work by Outside Magazine and received the Maine Governor's Award for Business Excellence in 2008. Their award-winning toys can be found in pet stores from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon and way beyond. For more information about Planet Dog, please visit www.planetdog.com.

As proud members of the Portland Buy Local Campaign, the Planet Dog Company Store offers a wide variety of Maine-made products including; toys, leashes, collars, food and accessories. In addition, the store has a popular Grooming SPA and many other services for dogs of all ages such as romp-rrr-room (a FREE puppy play group every Saturday & Sunday) and puppy and manners training classes. The store also hosts many special events and fundraisers that benefit dog loving Mainers and non-profit animal welfare organizations throughout the state.

Whether creating great products, providing financial resources or helping to educate consumers about canine-related issues, Planet Dog is proud to be a pet industry leader with proven socially responsible initiatives that bring people and dogs together for fun and mutual support.

"As a small company doing big things, our goal will always be to improve the world around us by giving back to our community, our workforce and the environment," says Alex Fisher, Planet Dog's Founder. "Our internal mantra is "think globally, act doggedly." When running a business, it’s easy to get absorbed in just the dollars and cents. The mantra helps keep us focused on the higher cause for which we entered this industry,” adds Fisher.

Planet Dog’s corporate philanthropic arm is the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF). The Foundation, whose mission is to promote and celebrate programs that enable dogs to serve and support their best friends, receives a percentage of every Planet Dog purchase. In turn, it is donated back to non-profit canine service programs nationwide.

“We’re doing what no other pet product company is doing," says Catherine Frost, Planet Dog's Brand and Product Champion. “We offer innovative, top-quality products that dogs love, all while supporting service dog programs, encouraging pet adoption and protecting Planet Earth. Our goal is for our actions to speak louder than woofs,” adds Frost.

Since January 2006, PDF has given away more than a half a million dollars in cash and in-kind donations to several worthy organizations in New England and beyond. For more information and a full list of programs and grantees, please visit www.planetdogfoundation.org.