Dogs day planned for parade

Four-legged friends will join this year's Nevada Day Parade as volunteers from area animal rescue groups march adoptable dogs next to a special float celebrating two years of achieving successful adoptions of cats from the Carson City Animal Shelter.

About 30 dogs will be available for adoption, said Pat Wiggins, education officer for the city shelter. The shelter is working with Pet Network, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Incline Village, to promote a "no-kill" goal for the city.

For the last two years, the shelter and network have been able to place all adoptable cats with loving owners, avoiding euthanasia. The shelter's next goal will be to do the same for dogs.

"That's what we're aiming to do, have Carson City be a 'no kill' for adoptable animals in two years," said Adam Hulme, adoption manager for Pet Network.

Pet Network has served the Lake Tahoe area for the past three years from a new shelter. The organization places about 1,000 pets a year and was looking to expand its service area when it approached Carson, Hulme said. The network and animal shelter work together to place all animals.

Pet Networks holds mobile adoptions in the Carson-Lake Tahoe area.

Dogs and cats will be available at the parade and the next day at PetSmart in Carson.

Area veterinarians are donating to the cause by spaying, neutering and vaccinating the pets for the event.

Sierra Veterinary Hospital in Carson will participate this year, "so we don't have as many animals that need to be destroyed and are left homeless," said Jean Webb, practice manager.

This will be the first year the Carson shelter will enter the parade, Wiggins said.

"It's our first try, so we hope we look really good," Wiggins said.

Shelter officials are not sure what types of dogs will be starring in the show, but they will make available whatever adoptable dogs they have at the time.

"We're going to have your garden variety mutts," Wiggins said.

With the donations from veterinarians, the cost to adopt pets at the parade or at PetSmart will be the minimum $20.