Only dogs need apply to Waterbury’s first Fast CAT dog run May 15
May 11, 2021 | By Jesse McDougall
A Siberian husky chases the “rabbit” lure on a Fast CAT course. Courtesy photo.
As the weather warms and more people are venturing outside - often in the company of their dogs - Green Mountain Dog Club members are organizing an event this weekend specifically designed for dogs and their human companions.
Andy McMahan at Ripanco Kennels in Duxbury has teamed up with local canine enthusiasts to host a dog race of sorts on Saturday, May 15. The catch: the dogs race one at a time in an enclosed 100-yard dash course as they chase a toy “rabbit” fastened to a pulley system.
The event is called Fast CAT, short for Coursing Aptitude Test, and it mirrors the American Kennel Club’s timed races which rank dogs in a national database. The race is open to all dogs, those belonging to both members of the Green Mountain Dog Club and non-members. And spectators are encouraged.
McMahan, who’s involved with an annual summer dog show in Tunbridge, said she’s noticed that Vermont has relatively few community dog events. “We want to change that,” said McMahan, “and events like the Fast CAT require little training.”
Saturday’s event will not be an official AKC sanctioned event, but if it goes well, organizers will apply for AKC licensing to plan future official Fast CAT races. “This time we’re just getting out feet wet, and it’s just for fun,” said McMahan.
During the event, dogs can run the course up to three times for the price of $10 per run, and their times will be recorded. Normally, these times would be entered into the AKC national database based upon a dog’s size, age and breed. McMahan said she hopes that future races will qualify to record the results. “Both dogs and people love doing it,” she said, “and because of the pandemic people should be doing more with their dogs.”
McMahan has secured a permit from the town of Waterbury Recreation Department to use Dac Rowe field, and she says they will follow COVID-19 protocols. “There will be no loose dogs off leash outside of the race area,” she said, “and spectators should wear masks and social distance appropriately.”
Participants are asked to have two handlers per dog. The event will be spread out across three separate 90-minute heats of 10-15 dogs starting at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. “This way folks can sign up for a specified heat, run their dogs a few times, and be able to leave,” McMahan explained. That will mean fewer people on site at any one time to lessen COVID-19 risk.
This year has not proved particularly easy for dog owners and kennels like Ripanco. With fewer people traveling, McMahan said the pandemic has been disastrous for her business as they have been operating at only one third of their capacity. However, the summer season is looking up as people begin to travel once again. The Fast CAT is aimed at getting people to take some initial steps to attend an outside gathering with their pets.
There also are likely a significant number of people who got new pets during the pandemic and that can pose a challenge. “The ‘pandemic puppies’ are not properly socialized, and we’re seeing many dogs who need lots of training,” McMahan said. “Without contact with other dogs, these puppies have missed a lot, just like our kids.”
On the day of the event, the field space between Winooski Street and the furthest baseball diamond will be used for the dog race, and fencing will be set up to keep the running dogs on the course. Outside of the race area all other dogs must be on leash for what McMahan says should be a great opportunity to join Waterbury’s canine community.
More information about the Fast CAT is posted on the Green Mountain Dog Club Facebook page. To enter, email McMahan at ripanco@aol.com with your name, phone number, dog's name, age, breed, as well as what heat you would like to enter and the number of runs for your dogs.