Schnauzerfest 2016 is about to begin
It’s here, Schnauzerfest 2016 is about to get underway. Well, it actually started last Saturday with the first Schnauzerfest walk, a week early at Stanmer Park, Brighton, where over 50 dogs and twice as many humans walked, had fun, and raised over £550. Host Jeremy Diaper began the day with an early morning appearance on the radio. BBC Sussex were lucky to have Jeremy’s dogs Trevor and Geof in the studio, as listeners heard all about this annual fundraiser we do, why we do it, and how marvellous schnauzers are, Jeremy admitted to being a touch biased!
This is the 3rd Schnauzerfest and so far we’ve raised over £30,000 and that figure is rising by the hour at the moment. There’s no knowing how much we’ll have raised by the time we close this year’s fund links. By walking over the weekend for Schnauzerfest, people will donate and grow the fundraising, to help dogs who are less fortunate than their own. Some attending Schnauzerfest walks will have dogs with them who have been rescued, others will have dogs who’ve known nothing but kindness, security and love in their lives.
Schnauzerfest is about celebrating the lives of dogs, and doing what we can to help others know happiness and safety. As last year, funds are heading straight to the 2 rescues Schnauzerfest are supporting: Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue and East Midlands Dog Rescue. Both take in and care for dogs, including schnauzers, from puppy farms and breeding facilities as well as from all kinds of other backgrounds. DBARC choose to use the funds to provide eye surgery for schnauzers in their care, although they were doing this long before Schnauzerfest was born. Susie-Belle herself benefited from exactly this, which is how I came to find out about this remarkable commitment to do the absolute best they can for dogs like her, which DBARC demonstrate.
Restoring the sight of dogs really transforms their lives. Although blind dogs can, and do live perfectly well, and have rich and fulfilled lives, if their vision can be restored, DBARC will do it. For the traumatised dogs rescued from puppy farms, being able to give them their sight back, means they have one less difficulty and challenge to go through the rest of their lives with.
By having the support of Schnauzerfest fundraising for them, it means that DBARC knows it can offer this to dogs, making difficult decisions a little easier about where to direct valuable resources.
As well as the phenomenal fundraising that Schnauzerfest represents, a result entirely of a cooperative effort from many, the awareness of rescue work and puppy farming that is generated is arguably as important. Everyone that comes across Schnauzerfest soon learns about puppy farming and rescue pets.
This year, this has been greatly aided by the colourful splashes of Schnauzerfest paraphenalia spreading across the world. And I’m not exaggerating (for once), we have supporters in several countries who’ll be wearing their Schnauzerfest teeshirts and Little Lady corsages and bandanas with pride this weekend. Every sale of items has helped grow this year’s fundraising, before we even hosted a walk. And, the strikingly colourful togging out of dogs, provides a useful ice-breaker and talking point, allowing people to spread the word about Schnauzerfest and rescue, puppy farming, and breeding issues. Browsing the Little Lady Hall of Fame Album is a good way to while away a few minutes.
This year saw the first (of many I’m hoping) Schnauzerfest Craft Stalls at the DBARC Fun Day. This was an incredible show of collaboration and generosity. People kindly got their crafting heads on and worked their fingers hard producing a host of colourful items, all of which were donated, enabling the full sum of each sale to be given to the DBARC fund.
Organised largely by my friend, and Schnauzerfest right-hand woman, Kate, this stall and the recent online Market Night selling the remaining items, was a huge undertaking, but 100% worthwhile. It raised a hearty sum, and there are millions (ok, I may be exaggerating, but only slightly) of schnauzers now kitted out in handknitted, jewel-coloured dinosaur jumpers. The popularity of these amusing (some will kill me for thinking they’re funny), but, or so I’m told practical, de rigeur items, is one of Schnauzerfest’s most impressive achievements!
Schnauzersaurus jumpers donated to Craft Stall
A whole range of schnauzer models, superbly, capably, showing off their best sides while togged out as mini dinosaurs can be viewed on Nellie Noodle’s marvellous page. It’s a wonderful celebration of Schnauzerfest.
So, whilst the nation’s schnauzers are out and about this weekend walking, socialising, fundraising and having fun with old and new friends, we will all, in every way, be taking part in something that is a unique event, one that truly is, something else. It’s Schnauzerfest.
Donations to Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre can be made on this link:
Please donate to support DBARC
If you’d like to donate to East Midlands Dog Rescue, you can do so on this link:
