A walk in the Bark

Alicia Robinson

Big dogs, little dogs and even a three-legged dog got a chance to

shine Saturday in a dog show at the Bark Park.

The Newport Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce, or Jaycees, put on

the dog show as a fundraiser to benefit their organization and the

Bark Park, a two-acre lot at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and

Arlington Avenue where dogs can frolic leash-free.

“It’s not funded by the city, so it needs supporters like us to

ensure the ongoing operation of this really beautiful park,” dog show

organizer Wendy Leung said.

While some dogs performed tricks for the judges, others suffered

performance anxiety and had to fall back on looking cute.

Dixie, a small black dachshund mix, was one of the latter.

She can sit and lay on command but she’s new to performing dog

shows, said her owner, 8-year-old Chloe Kuhen of Balboa Island.

“This is the first time, actually,” Kuhen said. “She did great,

but she had a little bit of stage fright.”

Dixie wasn’t the only shy performer. Some of the 20 or so

participating dogs did fetching tricks, but others wandered off when

faced with an audience, said volunteer judge Dina Kourda, a Jaycees

member who lives in Irvine.

Dogs were judged for originality, cuteness, costumes -- if they

were wearing one -- and their “wow factor.”

The limelight was welcomed by some dogs. Kylie, a 9-year-old mutt,

has been in costume contests before, said her owner Theresa Croft,

43, of Stanton.

Having only one front leg doesn’t hold Kylie back from performing

tricks.

“She takes a treat out of my mouth and she shakes [people’s

hands],” Croft said.

In addition to the competition, Saturday’s dog show included a

demonstration by a dog and handler from the Santa Ana Police

Department and live music from Los Angeles rock band Moe Jones.

It was one of a variety of community service activities the

Newport Jaycees do throughout the year. The 63-year old group also

offers volunteers for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life,

the Coastline Car Classic and other charity fundraisers, and it

provides business and leadership training programs, Newport Jaycees

President Anna Lisa Biason said.

The dog show was the second and biggest event the Jaycees have

organized for the Bark Park. Some proceeds will support the

irrigation program to keep the park grassy, clean-up bags for dog

waste, and other park needs, Leung said.

The Bark Park, Costa Mesa’s only dog-specific recreation spot,

celebrates its tenth anniversary this fall, and its popularity has

led pet owners to lobby for dog-friendly zones at other city parks.

“I think it’s a good thing for the community because there’s no

other place to take the dogs,” said Trent Dixon, 50, of Costa Mesa,

who brings his Labrador retriever, Crankbait, to the park a couple

times a week. “I live in an apartment, and he wants to play.”

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].