Golden, B.C., hopes to live up to its name with gathering of golden retrievers from across Western Canada

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Invitations have gone out to dog owners in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, with Tubbs pointing to Golden’s central location between the three provinces as part of the appeal.

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Golden, B.C., hopes to live up to its name with gathering of golden retrievers from across Western Canada

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She said the hope is that the setting of mountains, open space and a small town named Golden, will help turn the gathering into something special, particularly for an inaugural year.

The event will feature contests and games for dogs, photo opportunities, a vendor village, and food trucks, along with the signature “Big Sit,” where organizers aim to line up as many dogs and owners as possible for a group photo.

While golden retrievers are the focus, Tubbs said the event is meant to be inclusive.

“The event is obviously focused on golden retrievers, but all dogs on leash are welcome,” she said. “If you have a mixed family with goldens and other dogs, or you’re just a dog lover and don’t have a golden retriever, or don’t have a dog at all everyone’s totally welcome to attend. It’s going to be a fun day.”

Proceeds from the gathering will support three animal-related charities across Western Canada, including Golden Rescue of Canada, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) and Little Mittens Animal Rescue in Golden.

Tubbs said the regional spread was intentional, given how easily accessible Golden is from neighbouring provinces.

“Thinking of Canada, it’s a really big place and the proximity of Golden to Alberta and Saskatchewan is actually about the same as if you were driving from Vancouver,” she said. “So we’ve got to think regionally, not just provincially, and Golden Rescue of Canada is Canada-wide so that was an easy choice.”

Golden Rescue of Canada is one of the country’s largest single-breed rescue organizations, focused on rehoming abandoned and displaced golden retrievers.

Organizers are expecting between 100 and 200 dogs for the first-year event, along with roughly 200 to 400 people.

The event site, Tubbs said, offers enough space that capacity is not expected to be a major limitation.

“The field where we’re having the event is massive, so likely not much of a limit on who can attend,” she said. “We’re happy with how things are going. Being the first year, you never really know what to expect, and I had a sort of base number in my head and we’re about 65 per cent of the way there. So I’m pretty happy with that, and of course, blowing through my expectations would be wonderful for a first year.”

She said interest from the community has already been strong, but organizers are still looking for additional vendors to round out the vendor village.

Registration is open now, with early-bird pricing available until July 17.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com