Community Involvement

Community Involvement – Carolina DockDogs

Community Involvement of Carolina DockDogs is there to help promote responsible pet ownership, and assist local and national charities with their fundraising efforts.

“Chase Away Canine Cancer”Community Involvement - Chase Away K9 Cancer

The National Canine Cancer Foundation’s Chase Away K9 Cancer Campaign is a cause near & dear to the hearts of our members. Fellow DockDogs member Cera Reusser founded this campaign after losing her beloved black Lab, Chase to this disease. The Campaign raises funds to help improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. You can read Chase’s story and more about the Campaign at their website ChaseAwayk9Cancer.org. Carolina DockDogs is proud to donate a portion of event proceeds to help in the effort to eradicate this disease.

“Local Charities”

There are numerous charities throughout the state of North Carolina who specialize in the rescue & rehabilitation of pets. Carolina Dockdogs is pleased to donate a portion of proceeds to a charity located in the counties of our event venues.

“Get Excited Tour”

Since embarking on his DockDogs career 5 years ago, Carolina DockDogs president emeritus and founder, Jay Harris, started the “Get Excited” Tour. During his many travels to DockDogs events throughout the United States, Jay has raised money for Chase Away Canine Cancer. Whether it was using his “Get Excited” merchandise or just talking with the crowds, Jay has helped to get the word out. At the 2009 DockDogs National Championships in Ohio, Jay presented a check in the amount of $2,000 to Cera Reusser, founder of Chase Away K9 Cancer.

“Where did the Chase Away vest originate?”

At any DockDogs event throughout the country and in Canada, you are likely to meet a friendly dog sporting the Chase Away vest. These dogs mingle with the crowds and collect donations for the Chase Away K9 Cancer Campaign. But where did the idea come from? Sara Andersen, formerly a Keystone Dockdog member, and now relocated to North Carolina and a member of Carolina DockDogs will never tell you. She will tell you that her Chesepeake Bay Retriever, Maya, was the first to wear it, but that is all you will hear. At the 2009 National DockDogs Championships, Cera Reusser let the secret out by honoring Sara for her contribution to Chase Away K9 Cancer. At a Keystone event, they were trying to figure out a way to collect the money raised through the “speeding tickets” issued, and Sara came up with the idea of the vest. She contacted a company that makes service vest for dogs and the rest is history. If you ask Sara about it, she says that she is sure someone would have come up with the idea eventually. However, we are glad she came up with it when she did. President Jay Harris accepted the award on Sara’s behalf and presented it to her a week later at the 2009 Pet Essentials Fall Paw Drive in Charlotte, NC.