Woofstock brings food, friends, music — oh, and dogs

Brianna Hagopian, 15, left, and Morgan Mason, 14, give pets to Maxwell, 8, a pitbull terrier-bulldog-beagle mix, on Saturday. Hagopian and Maxwell won her third place in her 5K Woof Run at the Waterville Humane Society’s Woofstock Festival. Mason also entered the race. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

Waterville — Cody Bayou crossed the 5km finish line on Saturday and gathered three Goldendoodles, Sadie, 5, Molly, 2, and Charlie, 10, in a circle. We played by touching noses.

She and Karlie Inu completed a Woof run to raise money for the Humane Society Waterville area during the second Woofstock event held at the Webb Road shelter. By the way.

According to her daughter, the dogs belong to Veille’s father, David Veille, who takes them to work every day at the pet-friendly Gateway Financial in First Park, Auckland. .

“Sadie and Charlie are sisters and Mauri is one of Sadie’s puppies,” said Cody Veil. “We tried to run 5km but Charlie is 10 so he walked. Dogs are best friends. They are all very, very attached.”

Cody Veil and about 35 other runners or walkers entered the Waffran Race, which included dogs of all sizes, shapes and breeds. 5K was sponsored by Crossfit 137 and Central Maine Striders helped organize and run it.

The festival takes its name from Woodstock, a music festival held in upstate New York in August 1969.

“The race is a great run,” said Humane Society Executive Director Rayanne Demos. “This is the first time we’ve ever raced.”

Cody Baylou (left) walks with father David Baylou’s three Goldendoodles Sadie, 5, after walking a 5km race on Saturday to raise money for the Humane Society Waterville area. ), Mori (2 years old) and Charlie (10 years old) in Woofstock. The Veiloo family lives in Waterville. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

Around the mowed fields adjacent to the shelter, visitors buy food from trucks, street vendors sell T-shirts, plants, dog and cat collars, and children jump inside the bounce house. rice field.At 4pm a live band was to start playing music until 9:30pm

“Admission is free and all games are donation-based,” Demos said. “There’s also a raffle and food trucks. We had over 30 vendors participate this year. This day is family friendly and the band starts playing at 4.”

According to Demos and Humanitarian Association board vice president Mark Chapman, the nonprofit shelter operates on more than $1 million a year and relies on donations and grants to keep it going. Demos said many people think that shelters have state and federal money, but that’s not the case.

The shelter has 11 employees, but it actually needs 15, and the demonstrators are doing the work of about four, he said. She said donations of any amount go a long way toward the cause, and people can donate by mail to the Humane Society Waterville Area, 100 Webb Road, Waterville, ME, 04901, or on the shelter’s website and Facebook. He added that you can also donate on the page.

“The cost of everything is going up. Veterinary medicine is going up, vaccines are going up,” Demos said. “It just crushes.”

It’s kitten season, and the shelter has about 70 cats and kittens and about 11 dogs.

“The goal is to make Woofstock the biggest fundraiser of the year, this is only the second year,” she said.

Chapman greeted and assisted runners, pedestrians and dogs at the finish line. He said the race started on the driveway of the shelter, continued for a while to Webb Road, Eight Rod Road, then turned around and returned to the same spot as the start. Chapman said they are contributing goodwill support.

“I am passionate about this cause,” he said. “It’s a gift of love.”

Demos said the shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thursday and Sunday, when it is closed, and visitors are always welcome. If it has to close for any reason, such as a snowstorm, it will always be posted on its website and Facebook page, she said.

On Saturday, after several days of rain, the blue sky mixed with clouds and the sun was shining. A warm, gentle breeze kept the gnats at bay. Demos said he prayed for good weather in the morning, noon and night.

Nicky Savage, who ran with her golden retriever Tito, said the race was fantastic.

“Our family loves to help with anything related to animal welfare,” she said.

Brianna Hagopian, 15, of Madison, ran with her 8-year-old Maxwell, a pitbull-terrier-bulldog-beagle mix. She finished third in 24:18. Her friend Morgan Mason, 14, also ran with her. Hagopian’s mother, Larissa, said she thought it was a great event.

“I love all the dogs that have been here,” she said.

A K9 police demonstration was scheduled to be hosted by the Belfast Police Department later that day. Woofstock’s local sponsors included Bangor Savings and Assistance Plus.

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