Dogs have their day at Mosquito Lake

BAZETTA

They were all there — every breed from German Shepherd to Chihuahua. More than 100 canines with their owners in tow showed up for the second snnual Doggie Days at the Mosquito Lake State Park Dog Park today.

Ron Strader of Cortland arrived by bicycle with Giles, his little Yorkshire poodle, in a basket on the handlebars. “He’s not scared of the other dogs, and I let him run,” Strader said.

Guiness, a friendly year-old Labrador mix, nuzzled with other nearby dogs. “He loves it here,” said his owner, Ross Thompson of Howland. “This place is fantastic.”

The Mosquito Lake Dog Park Friends sponsors the event to increase awareness and raise funds for the five-acre park, which is divided in two fenced areas — one for small dogs and the other for dogs weighing more than 25 pounds. The state park maintains the area, but improvements, such as fences, have to be privately funded.

Read the full story in Monday’s Vindicator.