Dogs Have Their Day in Woodstock

Woodstock — Crowds swelled on The Woodstock Green on Saturday morning for the Puppies and Pooches on Parade fundraiser dog show, which was put on by the Friends of the Norman Williams Public Library for the fourth consecutive year.

The number of contestants approached 60 dogs, all vying for prizes in six categories and a Best in Show class.

The pups represented proud owners who came not only from Vermont, but also from locations as distant as Richmond, Va., and British Columbia.

Winners of the six categories included:

Minnie, a Yorkshire terrier from Hopkinton, Mass., landed the Most Precious Petite ribbon for owner, Anne Mato

Zebadee, a miniature Aussie from Woodstock, who was shown by 6-year-old Wyatt Underwood, claimed top honors for Mightiest Mid-Size

Easy, an Irish Wolfhound, shown by young Lucas Speckert, of Cavendish, Vt., won the Gentlest Giant nod

Franco and Cyrus shared prizes for a combined “Ms. Fashionista” and “Mr. Beau Geste” class. Franco, a cavapoo, is owned by Kathy Sorrentino, of Woodstock; Cyrus, a Bernese mountain dog, is owned by the Wiederspahn family of Pomfret.

Sophie Comet, a golden retriever owned by Molly Noonan, of Woodstock, earned the Most Congenial award.

From the six category winners, a Best in Show winner was selected by a spirited crowd of onlookers, whose “voice votes” were measured by a noise meter provided courtesy of the Woodstock Police Department. The honor went to Cyrus, the Bernese mountain dog.

The Friends of NWPL plans to use proceeds from the parade to help cover the cost of three new laptops for public use at the library.