Do you have a Coon Dog? If so, you’ll want to put a mark on your calendar for July 9th: it’s Coon Dog Day! Saluda is going to be having a busy day. The small, 700-resident town may get as many as 10,000 visitors for their annual Coon Dog Day festival! A Fort Bragg, NC vet puts the Coon Dog in the spotlight in this article.

Coon Dogs

As the name suggests, Coon dogs are a group of dogs that were specifically bred to hunt small game, particularly raccoons. There are six types of Coon dogs. The Black And Tan is the oldest, having been officially registered in 1900. The American English Coonhound, the Treeing Walker Coonhound, Redbone Coonhound, Plott Coonhound, and Bluetick Coonhound followed soon after. Most were descended from foxhounds settlers brought over from England. The Plott Coonhound is the exception: their ancestors were German.

History

The Blue Ridge Coon Dog Association was first formed in 1949, with one specific order of business: re-establishing raccoons in the local area. They started hosting events over the course of the next decade, and by the end of the 50’s had started a tradition of having a fundraiser on the Saturday after Independence Day. The proceeds went towards helping stock the local woods with raccoons. The event has stood the test of time, and has grown exponentially over the years.

Celebrating Fido

Today’s Coon Dog Festival is a pretty lively and fun time. The schedule includes parades, music, food, musical acts, a car show, a marathon, a dance party, and a street carnival. There’s also a dog show, which starts at 2:30 P.M. Fido then takes part in a treeing contest, which involves him chasing a fake raccoon. It also wouldn’t be a proper doggy festival without an adoption event!

Bringing Fido

Do you have a Coon dog? This can be a great way for Fido to meet some of his extended family, and just have a fun day. However, put his comfort and safety first. Not all dogs are comfortable with crowds or commotion. The Coon Dog Day festival promises both. Whether he’s attending or not, your canine pal should be microchipped, wearing ID tags, and current on all of his vaccines and parasite control.

Do you have questions about caring for a Coon dog? Contact us, your Fort Bragg, NC pet clinic, today!