Richmond Hill K9 Klub
RHK9Klub Newsletter
It's All About the Dogs!September 2011
Greetings!  
 
Wow! Is it really autumn already? Earth Day, Pooch Party, Canada Day and summer cleanups seem to be distant memories to all of us.  Here at the Klub we are all asking ourselves where the summer went. Where indeed! But with autumn on our heels and the cooler weather approaching we are already planning for a busy schedule of dog-friendly events.  We're still hard at work trying to create opportunities for our community to gather and have some family fun with our four-legged friends.  Here is a short-list of projects we are focusing on at the moment:

"Lose the Stuffing" Thanksgiving Fido Fit Walk - Hard to believe Thanksgiving is already next weekend! I'm sure we're all looking forward to spending time with family and the wonderful meal that is part of the holiday, but while the cooler weather is giving our four legged friends more pep in their step, the rest of us will be looking for a way to work off those extra calories. Whether you need to walk off the turkey and fixings you have already consumed or need to take preemptive measures for the meal soon to come, please join us on Monday morning to enjoy some fresh air and beautiful fall scenery on the Saigeon Trail.  We'll meet at the dog park entrance at 10am.

K9 Klub's 3rd Annual Howlowe'en Celebration - Once again, it's time for all you ghosts and goblins to join us for a fun-filled day including a costume contest, pet photos and special treats. The date has been set as Sunday October 23 from 11:00am - 2:00pm and will be held in the Tower Hill Plaza in front of Global Pet Foods who will be holding their "Customer Appreciation Day" event.  More than anything, it's a great opportunity to get together as a community, show off your pooch and catch up on Klub business and the latest news regarding the Town's plans for our new off-leash park (more info below).

Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade -  Once again, we will be participating in the Town's Santa Claus Parade. The parade is scheduled for Sunday, November 27th and this year's theme is Adventures in the North Pole.  The dogs are always a huge hit with the kids and anyone who has participated in the past will attest to how much fun it is.  Our hopes are to have an even larger group of dog-lovers parading with us, so we encourage you to sign up early and reserve your spot with us. Please stay tuned to our website for more information and when to submit your request to join the parade with your pooch.

Pooch Party 2012 - Well, on the heels of such a collossal success this year, we have already booked Richmond Green for next year's event.  Attended by over 1000 visitors, this year's Pooch Party 2011 was a highlight for our dog-owner community in Richmond Hill.  The feedback we received from vendors and visitors alike was overwhelmingly positive and it has given us wings to make it an even bigger success next year. Mark June 24, 2012 on your calendars and stay tuned!

Along with our own events at the K9 Klub, we are pleased to share information about some really special dog-friendly events in our broader community of York Region. Typically on the first Sunday of October, a strange procession of beloved animals ranging from cats, birds and hamsters to horses and, of course, dogs are blessed by local clergy in various communities keeping with the tradition of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals and ecology). 
  • Blessfest 2011 is a non-denominational Blessing of the Animals which will be held at Fairy Lake Park in Newmarket this Sunday, October 2.  The event also includes a variety of pet-friendly activities which can be viewed at www.blessfest2011.com  Blessings are free, but you do need to register your pet for the blessing using the online registration form. 
  • A second animal blessing event will be held at Paws to Love Day - 2011 in support of the Uxbridge-Scugog Animal Shelter Building Fund.  Demonstrations at this event include information about holistic pet care, pet stem-cell treatment, obedience, pet portraits and a visit from the Durham Police Service K9 Unit.  For more information, please visit the flyer posted on the K9 Klub website at : http://www.rhk9klub.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Paws-to-Love-Day-2011-Flyer-Final-3.pdf.  Both events promise to be a very special experience for all who attend.
  Hope to see you at these terrific events and, of course, at the park!

 

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Do it yourself
 

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Quick Links
In This Issue
Park News
Coming Events
To-do List
Corporate Sponsors
Park Volunteer News

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Contact Us
 Membership Inquires:
Park Maintenance:
Dog/Owner Aggression Issues:
 Corporate Sponsors Info:
Media Inquiries:
 Volunteer Info:
 
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At the Park: - Next month it will be 1 year since we planted our donated trees in the park.  The heat and lack of rain this summer was certainly a cause for concern with a couple of the trees looking like they were losing the battle, but they appear to have bounced back and should look healthier next spring.
 
Some have commented that the park is looking a bit neglected with the brush and weeds growing high, however this is, for the most part, intentional. Perfectly groomed grass areas are for golf courses and soccer fields, not dog parks. Brush and bushes provide more interest for the dogs who certainly are enjoying the "more natural" surroundings.  Admittedly, this summer has been extraordinary for weed growth as most who battled the beasts in their gardens this year will attest to and, while we've cut down the more common areas in the park a couple of times this summer, they grew back very quickly. Please keep in mind that this work is done completely by volunteers and more help is always welcome if the weeds are too unruly for your taste.
 
Richmond Hill's new Off-Leash Park - If you are on the Town mailing list or have been paying attention to Klub correspondence, you already know that our friends at Parks, Recreation and Planning have been working very hard to find an appropriate site for our new off-leash park.  The recent public meeting held at Richmond Green on September 22 gave everyone a chance to come out, ask questions and get informed about the 4 sites being considered, three of which are located within Phyllis Rawlinson Park (pictured below). 
Sites at Phyllis Rawlinson
 
We at the K9 Klub have offered feedback as to the new site that best suits the nature of use for our park-users taking into account safety, accessibility and sustainability.  We encourage everyone to check the Town website and K9 Klub newsletters for further information. Remember, council's decision this past Spring means that our park at Tower Hill Rd. will close once the new park opens. 

Community Petition to Save Tower Hill Park
  Apparently, some of our dog-owner community and businesses have been hard at work and have formed a grass-roots coalition to save the Tower Hill off-leash site.  The name of the group is T.H.O.R. (Tower Hill Off-leash Rally) and you can view more information about their movement at 
www.savetowerhillpark.ca Their website contains a petition which you can download and sign.  Instructions about where to pick up a petition, drop off completed petitions or mail them is also included.  The Richmond Hill K9 Klub fully supports T.H.O.R.'s appeal to Council.  We hope that all of you will take the time to visit their website, inform yourself and take a stand.

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Fall is falling
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upcoming events

October 10, 2011 (Monday) "Lose the Stuffing" Thanksgiving Fido Fit-Walk  
 
Whether you need to walk off the turkey and fixings you have already consumed or need to take preemptive measures for the meal to soon to come, please join us on Monday morning to enjoy some fresh air and beautiful fall scenery on the Saigeon Trail.  We'll meet at the dog park entrance at 10am.

October 23, 2011 (Sunday) The K9 Klub's 3rd Annual Howlowe'en Celebration & Global Pet Foods Customer Appreciation Day
 
Taking place in front of the Global Pet Foods on Tower Hill Road, this promises to be a fun filled day with costume contests, pet photos, treats and giveaways.  Be sure to drop by 11am-2pm!
 

October 30, 2011 (Sunday) Monthly 10 Minute Clean Sweep at the Park
 
We'll be picking up garbage along the paths leading up to the park and around the fence.  The more people we have , the quicker it'll go!  Just bring a grocery bag for garbage and meet up at the park entrance at 11am.  This event now doubles as a park volunteer orientation.  If you are interested in becoming a park volunteer, please drop by!

November 27, 2011 (Sunday) The Richmond Hill Santa Claus Parade
 
The dogs are always a big hit and the bigger the group, the more fun we have!   Drop us an email to let us know you will be joining the pack this year! info@rhk9klub.ca

December 3,2011 (Saturday) Santa Pictures at Pet Valu
 
He had such a good time last year, t
he big man himself will be at Pet Valu (Longo's Plaza) to ham it up for the camera with your pet again this year!  

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K9 Klub To-Do List

 

In no particular order, these are some of the suggestions from our members:

 

 

  • Organize Fido Fit Walk
  • Rally pack for Santa Claus parade
  • Design and ammenities input for new dog park location

 

We encourage you to email us your ideas or post in the forums at our website where we can debate priority. We can't do it all at once and projects will require additional fundraising. 

 

Should you have any fundraising ideas, we'd love to hear them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Our Corporate Sponsors

Thanks!

 
On behalf of the Richmond Hill K9 Klub and our canine friends we wish to thank you for your generous donations and ongoing support. 
  
  



 
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Tastes funny

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Park Volunteer News Park Volunteer pouch

The scheduled "10 minute clean sweep" day on the last Sunday of every month is the standing meeting date for park volunteers to meet briefly to catch up on park happenings, maintenance issues, discussions on further improvements etc.  We will also use this time for orientation, handing out information and badges to new volunteers.
  
The next meeting of the park volunteers is at 11am on October 30th at the front entrance. If you have are interested in joining our team of park volunteers, come on down!

 

Also, if any students require volunteer hours, come help us out at the clean sweep; keep an eye on the event calendar for future dates and times.  
We always have information to share so keep an eye out for future newsletters and notices.  Thank you for your support.

 

Full Membership in the Richmond Hill K9 Klub is currently $20/year and entitles you to attend member only events, official general meetings of the Klub, vote on issues, stand for nomination and election to the board of directors and generally get involved in the politics and growth of the Klub.

 


Remember...

 

It's all about the dogsRichmond Hill K9 Klub

 

Sincerely,


The Board

Richmond Hill K9 Klub