Four-Legged Friends
MSFF offers annual Pet Show
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Scarlett Mowery holds her pet blue iguana Cranky Baby during the Mountain State Forest Festival Pet Show Monday.
ELKINS -- More than 40 animals participated in the 2023 Mountain State Forest Festival's Parade of Pets and Pet Show Monday evening at Elkins High School's Richard P. Simmons Memorial Gymnasium.
"We had a great turnout for the Pet Show," MSFF executive director Heidi Bray told The Inter-Mountain. "I hadn't been to the Pet Show since 2009, so it was nice to attend the event. It was nice to see so many people bring so many different types of animals to the show.
"There were a lot of dogs, five or six cats, a couple of chickens, some lizards, and a blue iguana, who won for the longest tail."
The Most Beautiful Dog award (female) went to Crystal Poe for her dog Aussie. The Most Handsome Dog winner (male) was Courtney Shears and her dog Oreo.
A chicken named Maria, owned by Molly McFadden, won for Most Unusual, while Brian Skidmore's dog Benny captured the award for Most Obedient Dog. A boxer/black lab mix, Grim, took home the Most Fitting Name Award. Grim is owned by Randy Nethken.
The Cutest Baby Ribbon (under 1 year old ) was won by a puppy named Trail, owned by Kenny and Heidi Hawkins.
A Blue Iguana named Cranky Baby, owned by Scarlett Mowery, won for Longest Tail and was the top pick by Maid of Honor Sophia Schoemaker. Maid of Honor Miriam Fath's top choice was a black kitten named Suk, who is owned by Jett White. Maid Silvia's Choice was awarded to a Turkish Van cat named Sir Galahad.
Rebekah Rovira won the Most Handsome Cat with her pet Lennox, and the Best Tricks Award went to Riley, an Australian shepherd owned by Simeon Sheppard.
The Best Costumed Dog was Levi, dressed as Beast, and his owner Ella Elbon, who was dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The Owner/Pet Look-alike and top pick by Director General Jon Morgan went to Kaci Zopp and her dog Nova.
This year's Pet Show was coordinated by the Randolph County Humane Society and sponsored by Fancy Paws. Jessica Jennings and Sierra Wotring, both employees at the RCHS, brought several animals available for adoption to the event.
"Everything has been going really well to start the Festival week off," Bray said. "We have some big days ahead of us and I think the weather we have had early on has helped with some great turnouts at many of the events.
"We had a lot of people come out for Irish Road Bowling, and had one of our biggest turnouts ever for the 10K on Sunday. We also had a lot of people attend the Children's Parade. We walked the route and it was packed. It's been very good weather so far."
The Primitive Campers Exhibit will open today at 9 a.m. on the front lawn of Davis & Elkins College, while the MSFF Juried Arts Exhibit will be open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Arts Center. The Statler Brothers Tribute Band, American Pride, will perform at the Rotary Amphitheater at 7 p.m.