Canine Cup III a Dog-Gone Good Time at Oak Crest

PARKVILLE, MD—“Zoey,” “Mugsie” and “Raven” might not be names familiar to those who know Oak Crest.  But for one day, they and their canine buddies took center stage at the Erickson Living retirement community’s Canine Cup III on Friday, October 25th.

Thirteen dogs and their owners, a mix of residents and employees, participated in a friendly competition that featured four categories:  Best Dressed, Best Kiss, Best Trick and Best In Show.  Over 120 attendees were treated to a celebration of man’s best friend.

A three-judge panel scored the contest using the specially-designed 4-Paw Scoring System; the judges were Gary Hibbs, Executive Director of Oak Crest, Jennifer Williams, Web News Editor for The Catholic Review, and Danielle Singley, Home Team Program Manager with the Baltimore County Department of Aging.

It was a homecoming for Ms. Singley.  In 2008 and 2009, she served as an Operational Associate at Oak Crest.  While doing a rotation in the Public Affairs Department with manager Jeff Getek, she created the concept of the Canine Cup, coordinating the competitions in those years.

After the dogs showed their best stuff on-stage, the judges’ scores were tallied.  Event emcee Chris Giesler, Sales Director at Oak Crest, announced the following winners:

Best In Show: “Suzie,” a poodle who serves as a therapy dog.  She is owned by Oak Crest resident Flo Trimble.

Best Trick: “Raven,” a golden boxer and an avid swimmer.  She is owned by Oak Crest General Services team member Paul Stiles.

Best Kiss: “Zoey,” a German Shepherd who loves chasing squirrels.  She is owned by Oak Crest Social Worker Manager Catherine Cohen.

Best Dressed: “Suzie”

Canine Cup III earned generous support from the community at large.  Sponsors included PetSmart (White Marsh & Dundalk locations), the Perry Hall Animal Hospital on Belair Road and Dr. Dianna Burton, DVM.  Wendy Goldband of the Baltimore Humane Society also provided attendees with information about their services and volunteer opportunities.

Oak Crest is a pet-friendly retirement community in which residents are asked to follow common-sense ownership rules in partnership with management.