Puppy Pride Canceled, But Enfield Dog Park Mayor Race Is Still On

ENFIELD, CT — Thirteen turned out to be an unlucky number for the Enfield Dog Park, as the 13th annual Puppy Pride Fun Day event has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. However, the mayoral campaigns of several canines competing to be "top dog" for the 2020-21 season are in full swing.

Puppy Pride is historically held in early summer at the Thompsonville Moose Lodge on South Road, and features more than 20 vendors, animal rescue organizations, demonstrations by Department of Correction and Enfield Police Department canine teams, and various contests including Musical Sit 'n Stay, Best Kisser, cutest puppy and adult dog, and a hot dog eating competition.

Far and away, the biggest contributor to the nonprofit park is the mayoral race, in which dog owners campaign for their pet to be elected. Contribution jars are set up with photos of the candidates, and the process is simple: the pooch which collects the most money becomes mayor, earning the privilege of a private reserved parking spot at the Park on Ecology Drive.

Last year's five mayoral candidates raised more than $2,900 to aid the dog park, which is run strictly by volunteers. For the first time, a female dog, Nell, was elected mayor, but the lovable Saint Bernard had to be put down in late March and was succeeded by Deputy Mayor Freddy.

Despite the cancellation of Puppy Pride for 2020, the mayoral campaign is up and running, albeit on a virtual basis this time around. Five candidates are currently registered - Bella, Daisy, Eden, Binx and Zeke - and voting runs until 6 p.m. on Aug. 30.

Among the rules of the mayoral contest are:

• The dog with the most money raised will be mayor, and second most becomes deputy mayor;
• Frequent voting is encouraged, with no limit on how many times an individual votes (kinda like Florida);
• Voting will be conducted via PayPal.

Complete information about the mayoral contest may be found here.

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