Heart, dedication, love. These words come to mind most often when I come into contact with the impressive group of individuals who make up the Los Banos Volunteers For Animals. This tireless cadre of individuals supports the Los Banos animal shelter in so many ways and give so much of themselves in the form of time, effort and dedication that they would make any community leader proud. The beneficiaries of the incredible amount of love, and devotion that this group shows include not only the hundreds of animals that are rescued and cared for at the shelter every year but also the families that retrieve a lost four-legged family member that may have escaped. Other people benefit from the group's efforts when they gain new friends and 'family members' through the pet adoption program.

A couple of Sundays ago, The Los Banos Volunteers For Animals brought our community the seventh annual Dog Day In The Park event. The purpose of Dog Day In The Park seems to be multifold. Combining elements that include organized contests, fundraising, impromptu dog show, and community festival, the Dog Day In The Park event gave pet owners and others an excuse to get out of the house and spend a little time having fun and maybe even a little bit of exercise while they enjoyed a sunny day at the park.

At Dog Day In The Park local vendors and community groups can set up booths for attendees to peruse. This year a local veterinarian handed out information and answered questions and Petco had a table where they gave out dog toys and other items to those who stopped by. People who were hungry or perhaps those who wanted to spoil their pets in a big way could purchase a meal of barbecued food and enjoy a picnic lunch on the nearby lawn while watching the festivities or wandering around the other booths.

The Dog Day In The Park event is also part fundraiser. A room at the park building was set aside for the event and several volunteers could be seen scurrying around early in the morning setting up and preparing for the auction that would come later in the day. At the time of this writing it is unclear how much money was raised but there were some outstanding items up for auction again this year. The auction featured everything from pet supplies to certificates for goods and services in town to nice gift baskets which lined the many tables. Additionally, other community groups showed their support for the volunteers and shelter as well. One such group was The Los Banos' Golden State Gunslingers who sent a group of representatives to give the Los Banos Volunteers for animals a check during the event.

If you would like more information about pet adoption or would like to help the Los Banos Volunteers For Animals can be reached at 209-827-7089. The shelter itself is located behind the Los Banos Airport at 1000 Airport road. Please call ahead for adoption appointments or more information on how you can help.

Here are some photos from the event:

Golden State Gunslingers Present a Check

If everyone in Los Banos would just take 1 or 2 hours a month to do something to help their neighborhood or their community we could truly make Los Banos the gem of the valley.

The above is only my personal opinion and I strongly encourage readers to seek out more information from expert sources. Copyright 2009