Let’s just rename this month already. It’s not October. It’s Dogtober.

So many canine-conscious observances happen in the 10th month of the year, including:

• American Humane Association’s Adopt a Dog Month
• ASPCA’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
• National Walk Your Dog Week (Oct. 1-7)
• National Pit Bull Awareness Day (Oct. 27)

All of these special celebrations plus the milder weather also make this time of year ideal for outdoor pet-friendly festivals. And what better name for such a happening than Dogtoberfest?

Incidentally, that’s the name of the main event on my calendar today: Dogtoberfest runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lake Fleming in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Zach’s sister Bethany and their other sister their family dog Echo the elderbelle accompanied me to another Dogtoberfest a couple weeks ago in Lawrence, Kansas.

“Are you ready for this, old pup?”

We visited our friends at the Midwest Adopt-a-Bull tent where Arria and other adoptables were on display.

Amy from Fido Fetch Photography tried to snap a picture of Bethany, Echo and me. But the elderbelle got camera-shy.

Echo: “Is Blue Buffalo paying me to be in this picture? Then, no!”

It’s too bad, too, because Echo looked pretty cute in the bandana given her by a Blue Buffalo pet food vendor. The navy handkerchief was among many trinkets and treats we got at the Lawrence Dogtoberfest.

Because most of the edible items available at Dogtoberfest were not meant for human consumption, we headed out of the downtown park for lunch.

We had no trouble finding a restaurant with dog-friendly, outdoor seating. While we sipped fancy lattes and homemade hummus at Mirth Cafe, Echo hammed it up for a little boy on the other side of the window. The elderbelle did all of her tricks – sit, shake, lie down and play dead, but he was still afraid to pet her on his family’s way out.

“Why would anyone be afraid of little old me?”

Before our hummus and veggies arrived, Bethany noticed a pin-up fashion boutique next door to Mirth Cafe. She didn’t buy any of the retro dresses she spied, but if she had, I wouldn’t have teased her for wearing one right out of the store.

After all, what looks better on a bully breed lover than pin-up style? 

On that note, I’d like to remind everyone about Fashion-a-Bull Fall at Madewell, the shopping party and Midwest Adopt-a-Bull fundraiser I’m co-hosting with a real pin-up model one week from today.

Katty Delux, The Pin-Up from the Paris of the Plains, and I will be hyping this event throughout the week on our blogs and social media. We hope for a big turnout and lots of raffle ticket sales for this special Dogtober event!

If you can’t make it, we still invite you to make a donation to Midwest Adopt-a-Bull.

Katty also coordinated a special pre-event giveaway for pin-up fashion lovers who help us grow awareness about our event and the bully breed cause.

Follow the instructions at the link below for your chance to win a $20 gift certificate from Retro Vixen.

Click here: a Rafflecopter giveaway