Column: Dog Pageant Lots of Fun At Pendleton King Park

Duckie knows what it means when I hold up his leash—it means he is going somewhere, and if it involves a car ride, all the better.

He offered no resistance as I clipped it on his collar and led him to the car. He was happy as we headed to Pendleton King Park, the site of the Fifth Annual Augusta’s Next Top Dog competition Aug. 21.

MORE: Dog Parks Offer Fun Play for Pooches

I’d written a story about the event and thought it might be fun to cover, but I really wanted to take Duckie to it too. He would enjoy the outing, and it would benefit the charity, That’s What Friends Are For, which provides low-cost spay and neutering assistance.

I’d grown up around the corner from Pendleton King Park and have some special memories of the 64-acre park in the heart of Augusta.

On the drive into the park’s gates, an excited Duckie spotted several people with knapsacks filled with flying discs. The park is a popular spot for disc golfers, and he thought they were there to play with him. Duckie meets no strangers. Everyone, human and animal, is a potential new friend with him.

And the morning would offer a seemingly endless supply of those.

I paid my entry fees for “most handsome” and “happiest” dog. Other categories included most glamorous, best costume, best senior and tiny tot.

We’d arrived early, so I had a chance to roam the park with Duckie.

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Pendleton King Park was opened in May 1966 as a bird sanctuary. The land was given to the city in memory of John Pendleton King II, who served during World War I. About three weeks after returning from the war, he heard screams from Lake Elizabeth on the property and found two women drowning, according to the Pendleton King Park’s website.

King saved one of them, but the other drowned. King himself died not long after the incident possibly from a brain aneurysm.

Duckie and I walked the path to Lake Elizabeth, and I wondered if there were still ducks there. I used to take my kids to see the ducks, the same way my mother had taken me to see and feed the ducks when I was little.

Duckie is the name he came with when we adopted him. He was used to it, and we just didn’t change it. He does waddle like a duck when he walks, but that’s where his resemblance to waterfowl ends. He does not like water, and I don’t know if he can swim. Sure enough, there was a duck on the banks, just as I’d hoped.

Duckie was intrigued by the duck that he saw waddling on the bank before it glided onto the pond’s surface. He followed it some, but once his paws touched the mud, he was no longer curious.

We continued on the trail and saw the beautifully constructed waterfalls which are given good play on the website, but there was no water flowing from them on Saturday. That’s sad because I know a lot of work has gone into the park over the years with many civic groups donating time and money.

The site has a bark park, hydrangea gardens and playground. And don’t forget the tank, which has always been there as far as I know. I climbed on that tank as a kid.

With it closer to the “pageant’s” start, we headed back for Duckie to make more human and animal friends. About 30 animals total took part in the different categories.

When it was our turn to line up, he was not interested. He wanted to lie on the cool pavement in the Franke Pavilion, and he wasn’t about to walk up the three stairs. Most handsome was not his category although he’s always the most handsome in my book.

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He was ready to shine when it came to the happiest dog category. I tried to get him to show off, and he plopped down on the stage with his belly up for me to scratch it. I guess the judges could see he was a happy dog. He has a yellow ribbon to show for his efforts.

The overall winner was Hope, a senior beagle.

And as for Duckie, he was tuckered out from his adventures. He was snoring as he nestled under my desk chair while I wrote this column.

Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.

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