Hanging Out at Delaware Dog Fest

There couldn't have been a better place to be Sunday than hanging out with hundreds of dogs and their human companions at Delaware Dog Fest. Great weather, great dogs, great people.

The throng included (above) Michael Clevens and 22-month-old Rachel Clevens, both of Middletown, who got a kiss from Taco at Delaware Puppy Rescue's booth. Kisses were going for $1 each.

The annual gathering, coordinated by the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, was held for the first time at St. Anthony in the Hills right on the Delaware-Pennsylvania border. The league moved it there from Wilmington's Banning Park because it has a big pavilion -- a good insurance policy against too-frequent April showers. And wouldn't you know it, only bright sunshine and a high near 80.

"It was just crazy," said an exhausted Kelley Montgomery when we reached her Sunday night.

She estimated the crowd at more than 400, although she says she's terrible at things like that, and we saw at least 200 people there at 12:30 p.m. The event raises money for the Great Dane rescue and lots of other rescue groups, and retailers gather there, too. Kelley estimates that her group raised $8,000 to $10,000.

"We couldn't have asked for a better day," she says.

Look for the photo gallery from the event at the bottom of this Web site.