How to Celebrate Cinco Dog Mayo

May hosts Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican-American festival of fun and frolic. Recently dog owners and regional canine groups have adopted the date as Cinco Dog Mayo. Their version is a festive time to compete in silly games, show dogs available for adoption and raise money for animal charities. Cinco Dog Mayo is open to people and their dogs for public merriment. Here are ways you can participate.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog
• Leash

1. Mark the calendar. Cinco de Mayo means the fifth day of May. Cinco Dog Mayo is usually celebrated the first or second weekend in May. If you are taking your dog or dogs to a local event, be sure vaccinations and required licenses are current. Pack hats, water and snacks for you. Take leashes, water and toys or treats for the dog. And don't forget your wallet.

2. 
   Barkus as Indiana Jones

   Plan a Pawty. Host a Pet Fest with your dog club or rescue group. Offer costume parades, pet tricks and musical sit. Musical sit, played by dogs and their owners, is a variation of musical chairs. Invite vendors with pet products. Set up food booths for people and pets. Plan family activities like child face-painting and dog paw-painting.

3. 
   Obedience Training

   Raise a pawful of money. Participate in a fundraiser for your favorite shelter or rescue group. Sponsor a local vaccination clinic. Hold a dog washing. Offer a grooming clinic. Ask your local canine experts to give seminars. Make matching people and dog bandannas for sale. Take dog photos in festive Mexican garb for unique Cinco Dog Mayo souvenirs. Hold a Dogathon walk. Auction dog theme gift baskets. Promote your fundraiser through local dog groups and news contacts.

4. 
   Golden Retriever in Agility

   Pay a fee to test your dog. In California, Performance Dogs in Action (PDIA) held Cinco Dog Mayo games. For an entry fee, dog owners exercised their pet in agility, obedience, dock diving and other activities. The event featured rescue groups, pet massage, dog toy vendors, pet grooming and a raffle. Funds raised by entry fees and vendors supported cancer survivors and their dogs.

5. Visit an open house. Greyhound Friends of North Carolina held open house at their rescue shelter. Visitors ate hot dogs at Hound Café, shopped vendors at Hound Boutique and visited Pet Therapy booth. For a small donation, dogs ran the Hound Dash over a designated course with a Sport Speed gun detecting their speed. The reward for each dog was a certificate and swim in the pool. Donations support the greyhound shelter.

6. Take your dog to the races. In Florida, Animal Rescue Force held a Chihuahua race. Five little dogs at a time raced over 40 feet of grass for the finish line. Entry fees supported shelter groups. The fun event was covered by news media as dogs raced, walked and dawdled down the short track. Like any good dog day, owners and pet went home tired and happy.