11-month-old Boston Terrier Rafi, who was just recently called top pooch in Fitchburg as part of the yearly charity event for the city dog park, presents at City Hall. (COURTESY SAM SQUAILIA)
FITCHBURG — An 11-month-old lovable Boston Terrier called Rafi was just recently provided the title of the leading dog in the city and a primary school trainee was honored as the winner of the 6th yearly Dog License Awareness Poster Contest.
Rafi’s human beings Jared Graves and his partner Andres Hoyos-Cespedes quote on and won the very first dog license of the year at the yearly Puppy Love Auction in February. All follows the occasion advantage Friends of Fitchburg DOGS, Inc., the not-for-profit organization that together with the city works to preserve the roomy dog park at Coolidge Park that opened in August 2018.
Upwards of $1,500 was raised through this year’s auction and an overall of $9,000 given that its beginning in 2017. Funds are utilized to preserve the dog park consisting of spending for all the poop bags, garbage bags, pooper scoopers and whatever else required to keep it a great location where dogs can run totally free.
Previous top tagged dogs consist of Zelda in 2017, Bartley in 2018, Cash in 2019, and now Rafi.
“We’re excited for Rafi to have been selected as Fitchburg’s #1 dog of the year,” Graves happily said. “As residents of the city for the past two years we were eager to welcome a dog into our family soon after moving here. Rafi is turning one year old this month and he’s already established himself as a sweet and playful little brother to our two cats, Fabiola and Lupita. We love to explore the local parks and forests together and of course visit with our pup-friends at the city dog park.”
In other canine news
Be PAWSitive Therapy Pets and the Fitchburg Police Department provided certificates and goody bags to the winners of the 6th yearly Dog License Awareness Poster Contest at the April 3 School Committee conference.
Crocker Elementary School 5th grader Wren Wibbin Winter was granted top place for her vibrant and innovative representation of a number of happy dogs that advises individuals to ‘Love Your Dog License Your Dog.’
According to a news release Police Chief Ernie Martineau was amongst the contest judges and he explained that he believed Wren’s winning drawing with various kinds of dogs “reflected the diversity of Fitchburg, which is a really important part of the city that we all love.”
Wren’s illustration was made into a poster that will be shared in the neighborhood to advise animal owners to get their dog certified. She, together with the other trainee winners — Angel Guzman, Janayhia Guzman, Thiago Huertas Reyes, and Jorge West — got prizes and acknowledgment from Be PAWSitive and the cops department at the April 4 City Council conference.
Be PAWSitive Director and a longtime City Councilor Sally Cragin arranges the contest, which is open to all city school kids in initially through 5th grade.
“This was a record-breaking year, more than 700 drawings were submitted, and we thank Mrs. Morrison, art teacher at Crocker Elementary School, for making this contest an all-school activity,” Cragin shared in the release.
The yearly neighborhood occasion is sponsored by the Fitchburg Police Department, Fitchburg City Clerk’s Office, Be PAWSitive Therapy Pets and Community Education and Friends of Fitchburg DOGS, Inc.
