Mutts ado about something
You’ll have a ball in Manzanita as Muttzanita returns for a 15th year
By Emily Lindblom
For the TODAY
Photos by Cynthia Wolf Photography
Hundreds of dogs in their best costumes will parade down Manzanita’s Laneda Avenue on their way to the beach, where they’ll compete in a Chuck-It contest and a musical “sits” competition when the Muttzanita dog festival returns for its 15th year this Saturday, Sept. 9.
Pet shop Four Paws on the Beach puts on the fund-raiser for Animal Haven by the Sea, the animal rescue service in Nehalem.
Owners of Four Paws on the Beach since 2016, Meghan and Matt Ruona inherited the event when they bought the shop.
“It’s just so awesome to see everybody coming in, having a great time and enjoying watching other people’s dogs participate in the activities,” Meghan said. “We have folks who just come to watch, too, and that number has been growing over the years and that’s really nice to see.”
“Animal Haven runs on a shoestring budget and they need all the help they can get,” Matt added, “so whenever we can donate food or treats or anything, that’s the organization we focus on.”
Every year, local participants nominate their dogs to be voted the mayor of Muttzanita. The winner is announced at 10:15 am.
“After that we head up the street to the Little Apple grocery store and have a parade of all the dogs and their owners,” Matt said. “The mayor rides on a golf cart and leads the parade to the beach where there are events.”
A field with a starting line will be on the beach for the first event — the Chuck-It contest. The owners will all chuck the balls at the same time and the dogs will run after them. The first three dogs to retrieve and return the ball to their owners’ hands get prizes and medals.
“The Chuck-It contest is always a big highlight,” Matt said, “because you never know what the dogs are going to do when they get out there.”
The next event is the musical “sits” contest, in which all the dogs are brought to the middle of the field. Whichever dog is last to sit when the music stops is out of the contest until only the winners are left.
The pups and their people then make their way to the Manzanita Visitors Center at 1 pm for the talent show and costume contest. The Visitors Center also hosts a silent auction from 10 am to 1:30 pm.
According to Matt, many people come every year and plan their vacations around the event.
“It draws people into town and it gets the locals excited,” he said. “It’s a nice way to cap off the summer.”
Four-time Muttzanita sponsors Alan and Carol Wood are planning to drive 1,200 miles from their home in Colorado to get to the event. They have visited Manzanita most years since 2015 and this will be their fourth Muttzanita. They like to stay at the Ocean Inn, a dog-friendly oceanfront hotel.
“We feel connected to the town,” Carol said. “We love the event and supporting the animal rescue there.”
“All the people there appear to be really good dog owners, which is cool to see,” Alan said.
The Woods are bringing their 15-year-old bull terrier, Kicsi, who they said is a little too old to compete but is happy to watch, greet people, eat treats and then sit back down in the shade.
“As soon as she smells the ocean, she comes to life and just wants to go to the ocean,” Alan said.
The Woods plan to bid on the baskets in the silent auction and add a new Muttzanita T-shirt to their collection.
Matt said this year’s T-shirt will feature his and Meghan’s dog, Tilly, who died about a month ago at the age of 17.
“She was a staple in town and often you could find her napping in the back of Four Paws for the past eight years,” Matt said. “We’re just thrilled and honored to be able to put on one of the big events that happens in Manzanita every year and something people look forward to.” Matt added that being able to make a positive impact on the animal community has been part of what’s made owning Four Paws on the Beach special.
Participants can sign up their dogs at the event or the Manzanita Farmers Market on Friday, Sept. 8. The $20 registration fee goes toward Animal Haven by the Sea, and the first 50 to sign up get a goodie bag full of treats, dog food and coupons.
Muttzanita event runs from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, Sept. 9. The Manzanita Visitors Center is located at 37 Laneda Avenue. For more information, go to manzanita.com.