Newton Citizen

CONYERS - The Conyers Kennel Club will offer a chance to meet active dog owners and share information on pet care this weekend for its annual Responsible Dog Ownership Day.

The Conyers Responsible Dog Ownership Day will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Parker Road Pavilion at 1400 Parker Road. The event is free of charge and the public is invited to attend.

The event will provide information that dog owners can find useful, event organizer Merry Carol Houchard said.

Veterinarian Suzanne Sheldon will be available to answer animal health questions, and the

Conyers Kennel Club will have a table offering general dog ownership information through its affiliation with the American Kennel Club.

Also, officials from Rockdale County Animal Control will be available to offer information on local pet ordinances and services available, such as pet adoption at the county animal shelter.

As in past years, owners of different dog breeds will be there with their dogs to show them off and answer questions for a Meet-A-Breed at the event.

"We hope to have some good information on dog ownership, and also give people who come an opportunity to meet some of the breeds they've heard about but have never seen," Houchard said.

The Conyers event is one of over 300 similar events held across the country this month for National Responsible Dog Ownership Day, sponsored by the American Kennel Club.

A Canine Good Citizen Test will be offered at the event for a cost of $10 per dog.

Dogs who are tested will receive a certificate stating the dog is a good citizen while their owners will get pointers on teaching their pets good manners.

Other activities include the announcement of essay contest winners among local middle school students for responsible dog ownership. The contest winners will be presented by Rockdale County School Superintendent Samuel King.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a contest to guess how many dog biscuits are in a container. Entries are $1 per guess, and the winner does not have to be present to win. The prize will be half the entry money with the other have going to purchase pet food for the Rockdale Food Bank.

For more information on the Responsible Dog Ownership Day, call Houchard at 770-483-7027, or go to the Conyers Kennel Club Web site at www.conyerskennelclub.org.

Jay Jones can be reached at jay.jones@rockdalecitizen.com.