“Who Let the Danes Out?” at the 7th Annual Danetoberfest in Pensacola

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Seville Square

 

“Who Let the Danes Out?” is this year’s event theme, so festival-goers best come prepared for face-to-face nose boops and surprise slobber bombs! NWFLGDR will have more than 30 adoptable Great Danes onsite to meet and give treats to. In addition, there will be dozens of NWFLGDR alumni Danes in attendance too. All two-legged and four-legged friends are invited to join!

 

Danetoberfest is not only an adoption event, it’s also the rescue’s largest fundraiser for the year. NWFLGDR’s mission is to bring attention to the 60+ Danes currently available for adoption within the rescue; to emphasize the importance of spaying and neutering pets; to increase awareness about the benefits of adopting and fostering in your community; and to help raise $15,000 for the rescue to be used for veterinary expenses, medical supplies, food and general care expenses.

 

“We’ve taken in about 200 Great Danes over the past year.  Since shelters across the nation are overflowing, we’re seeing more Danes being abandoned locally and regionally,” said Katie King, vice president of NWFLGDR. “We can’t rescue our way out of overbreeding and overpopulation, and that applies to all breeds, not just Great Danes. We hope this event helps raise awareness of our rescue’s plight and of the importance of spaying/neutering your pets and choosing to adopt.”

 

This year’s event will feature more than a dozen vendors selling all kinds of arts and crafts – everything from artwork to dog-themed items to baked goodies for people and pets.

 

There will be several food vendors on site: Cactus Flower Mexican food truck; MJ’s Hot Dog Joint; and Flour-ish Comfort Food Truck.

NWFLGDR will be raffling off several high-value prizes, including a limited edition Louise Peterson pewter great dane sculpture entitled “Couch Potato”; a three-night stay in a four-bedroom, bayou waterfront vacation rental home off Perdido Bay;  a limited edition Gadco Great American Porcelain Doll set of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as a child with her great dane, King Phar, at the 1935 American Kennel Dog Show; a Big Barker XXL dog bed; and two $500 Revive K-9 Pensacola dog training gift certificates. Raffle tickets are $5 each or six tickets for $20.

 

In addition to the major prizes, more than 100 other items will be raffled off throughout the day – including custom artwork, gift baskets, gift cards, and collectibles — all totaling more than $10,000.

NWFLGDR relies entirely on public donations to exist. The rescue spends anywhere between $500 to $1,000, and often much more, to care for each Great Dane it takes in. That includes medical treatments, food, preventatives and medication, microchips and spay/neuter surgery, but does not take into account the amount of personal time and energy it takes every foster to nurse each Dane back to health and acclimate it to a caring environment.

“We hope to see lots of dog lovers join us in Seville Square on Saturday, Oct. 7. Come out and eat some great food, buy some raffles tickets, shop around, and let one of our gentle giants give you some slobbery love,” said Michelle Cramer, president of NWFLGDR. “Who knows? You just may meet your new human-sized, couch-stealing best friend!”

Danetoberfest 2023 is a DOG-FRIENDLY event. That’s right, you can bring Fido along! All dogs must be friendly and up-to-date on vaccinations. Please, no retractable leashes!

 

 

About Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue

Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescuewas founded in Pensacola, Fla., and became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2010. NWFLGDR serves a large coverage area — from Jacksonville, Fla., westward along the I-10 corridor through southern Georgia and along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana. All Danes are brought current on vaccinations, microchipped, spayed or neutered, and heartworm tested prior to adoption.

 

For more information about Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue or Danetoberfest, message us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/NWFLGDRor emailNWFLGDR@gmail.com.