DogFest Long Island-NYC 2021 Supporting Canine Companions
DogFest Long Island-NYC 2021

About DogFest Long Island-NYC 2021

Gather your friends, family and dogs for a day of fun! The human-canine bond is truly unique. On our happiest and hardest of days, our dogs love us endlessly. They are our everyday heroes in so many ways. Whether as service dogs, working dogs or pet dogs, there are countless tales of man's best friend doing amazing things. Join the fun at DogFest Long Island-NYC or participate virtually as we celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives. Registration is free. Fundraising is encouraged. There are sponsorship, volunteer and vendor opportunities too!

When registering, be sure to indicate you are bringing a dog to get your free DogFest dog bandana in the mail. Then fundraise to qualify for some fun DogFest swag!


Dogfest Long Island-NYC Schedule:

10:30 a.m. - Check-in/registration

11:00 a.m. - Opening ceremony/Canine Companions speakers

12:00 p.m. - Walk kicks off

1:00 p.m. - Costume parade

1:30 p.m. - Contest winner announced

1:45 p.m. - Silent auction winners announced

2:00 p.m. - Closing ceremony


DogFest Long Island-NYC supports the mission of Canine Companions to
 enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs free of charge. These dogs make a profound impact through the jobs they do like opening doors, picking up dropped items, alerting to sounds and much more.

DogFest Long Island-NYC 2020 was a great success! Our incredible volunteer committee transformed the in-person event into a virtual one that featured graduate speakers, service dog demos, online contests, and much more - raising over $35,000 for Canine Companions!

This year, we look forward to being back together in-person at Marjorie R. Post Park on Saturday, September 25. The event will feature a walk, plenty of activities for dogs, contests, and much more! The event will also take place virtually for those who cannot attend. 

Take the fitness challenge! Is your best friend "hounding" you to get off the couch? Then get out and get moving with your furry friend and benefit DogFest Long Island-NYC and Canine Companions. You can run, walk, roll or jog in your neighborhood, on a treadmill, on a trail or on a track. Participate at your own pace while social distancing. Be sure to ask friends and family to donate for each mile you successfully complete! Remember to take plenty of photos and videos and share them with us on the DogFest Long Island-NYC Facebook event page- use the hashtags #caninedogfest and #dogfestlongislandnyc when posting!​ Make sure to log your miles on your participant page and watch the thermometer rise!

We will continue to monitor CDC and local health guidelines related to COVID-19 and will provide any event updates on this page. We hope to see you on September 25.

Don’t miss out on DogFest. Join the fun!

Date

Starts at:  September 25, 2021 10:00 AM
Ends at:  September 25, 2021 1:00 PM

Location

Marjorie R. Post Community Park
451 Unqua Road
Massapequa Park,NY 11762 USA

Contact

Debra MacKenzie
631-561-0207

Gather your friends, family and dogs for a day of fun!

DogFest is Canine Companions' national signature event, supporting the mission of Canine Companions to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs free of charge. These service dogs make a profound impact through the jobs they do like opening doors, picking up dropped items, alerting to sounds and much more. Your participation makes a profound impact.

Our dogs love us endlessly, and the human-canine bond is powerful! Whether as service dogs, working dogs or pet dogs, there are countless tales of our best friends doing amazing things. We invite you to join the fun at your local DogFest or participate virtually as we gather to celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives. Registration is free. Fundraising is encouraged. 

There are sponsorship [LINK], volunteer [LINK] and vendor [LINK] opportunities, too!

Why We Fundraise

Canine Companions transforms the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs. Our dogs perform practical tasks that enhance independence and reduce reliance on others. They aren't just the eyes and ears, hands and legs of their human partners, they're also goodwill ambassadors and often, our best friends. A student achieves their dreams of attending college. A veteran gets a good night sleep. A patient can endure an additional procedure. Lives are transformed after being matched and working with a Canine Companions service dog. 

According to the U.S. Census, nearly 1 in 4 people in the U.S. have a disability. While it costs approximately $50,000 to raise and train every Canine Companions service dog and provide ongoing support to the human-canine team, each dog is provided to the recipient completely FREE of charge. Canine Companions has placed over 6,800 service dogs, but more than 400 people with disabilities are still waiting for a match. 

Our service dogs open up new opportunities and spread incredible joy. By raising funds through DogFest, you support our mission and the people we serve. Thank you.

Canine Companions in the Northeast Region

  • ​450 active graduates 
  • 145 active puppy raisers 

Fun at DogFest Long Island-NYC

Check out this video to see highlights from DogFest Long Island-NYC!

Victor's Story of Independence

Captain Victor Prato, USA (Ret.) served as an engineer officer in the 82nd Airborne Division during the global war on terror. A native of Somers, NY, Victor played football at Princeton University and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. During his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2017, he was selected to lead a route clearance platoon to seek out and remove IEDs. During a patrol, Victor's vehicle was targeted by a suicide bomber, and he suffered a severe spinal cord injury. After numerous surgeries, Victor medically retired from the Army and moved home to New York. 

Hoping to regain the independence that he lost, Victor was matched with Service Dog Barbossa in November 2019. Barbossa is trained in over 40 commands to assist Victor with daily tasks such as picking up dropped items like a cellphone or car keys, opening and closing doors and drawers, turning on lights, and much more. Victor says: "Barbossa accompanies me everywhere, he picks things up off the ground, pulls me when my arms get tired, and helps me stay calm navigating inaccessible parts of the city."

Sponsor Spotlight

Bussani Mobility is proud to be a returning sponsor for DogFest Long Island-NYC at the Companion level. For more than 40 years, Bussani has been serving people with disabilities in the New York metro area- selling, servicing, and renting wheelchair accessible vans and offering customized adaptive driving equipment on all types of vehicles. They are glad to support the Canine Companions mission through DogFest each year. 

Thanks to Our Generous Sponsors