The Northfield Rotary Club has another fundraiser this coming weekend. The 1st Annual Super Bowl Poodle Shoot will raise money to support both the Northfield and Dundas dog parks.
“With the Super Bowl hype at its peak, we thought that this would be an opportune time for area men to let off a little steam for a good cause,” said Richard Estonianson, event organizer. “There are way too many poodles showing up at our new dog parks, irritating other dogs and dog owners. Clearly, the herd could use a little thinning.”
Dick Harangue, local vet and a member of the Poodle Shoot committee, is in charge of operations for the event. “We want to make sure this is all done safely and with a minimum amount of muss and fuss. A poodle should not be on a leash when taken, as that would be unsportsmanlike and might upset the owner.”
The Rotary obtained a waiver from the Northfield City Council at last night’s Council meeting. It allows for the discharge of firearms within city limits for the weekend. “Pedestrians and shoppers are generally few and far between on Super Bowl weekends,” said Councilor James A. Bitcorney at the meeting. “Public safety is a concern, of course, but this is really no different than Carleton College allowing bow hunters to take deer in the Arb during winter break. Plus, it’s for a good cause.”
The resolution to approve the waiver passed 6-1 with Councilor Stan Davies the only member to oppose it. “I personally have much greater antipathy for Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas so I think to single out just one breed is unfair.”
The Northfield Police Department has been asked to provide support for the event. “All kills must be made on public property, with the exception of Bridge Square,” said Sargeant Malcolm O’Murphy. “We’re also requiring participants to register their weapons of choice with us. Most any type of small game hunting rifle is acceptable but we do want to make sure that no nut case shows up with his .30-06.”
Anna Septic, spokesperson for the Rice County Humane Society, issued a statement late Monday in opposition to the event. “We understand the factors that contribute to people wanting to engage in this type of activity,” she said. “Some of our own staffers would like to participate. But it’s a little over the top, even for Northfield. There should be another way to address the problem.”
The Poodle Shoot entry fee is $50 and the event is open to anyone over the age of 16. Register via the sign-up form on the Rotary web site. PayPal/credit cards are accepted. The Poodle Shoot starts at 5 pm on Friday and ends at 3 pm on Sunday.
Participants should bring their kills to the rodeo grounds by no later than 3:30 pm on Sunday. Prizes will be awarded for the most kills during the weekend:
- First place, a gift certificate worth $250 towards any class at the Northfield Zen Center;
- Second place, a gift certificate worth $150 for Rice County Masseuse and Facial;
- Third place, a gift certificate worth $100 at Dundas Tea and Crumpets.
Winners will also be honored by riding on a special Poodle Shoot float during the Defeat of Jesse James Days parade in September.
A similar type event was held in the early 80s in Marina Del Rey, California during Thanksgiving weekends. It included a Poodle barbeque at the end but Northfield Rotary organizers felt that this would be in poor taste, given how times have changed.
I was half hoping you had even created the fake websites for the Dundas Tea and Crumpets club, as well as the others. Obviously that would have been more work than was needed to get some laughs. Please pass my thanks on to Mr. Estonianson for all his work with the Dog Park.
Do you think we could get Michael Vic as a keynote speaker. Maybe have a bbq where he could speak.
If so, do you think it would qualify as a “public service” event?
Griff,
A poodle BBQ —- hot dog!
Is there a size limit? Do we have to throw them back if they are minis?
Jane, no, there’s no size limit. Some members of the committee actually argued for a points system in which the smaller the dog, the more points accrued. Also discussed was the criteria for a tiebreaker, eg, if two people each had the same number of kills and tied for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. I think Marina del Ray used total weight. But in the end, the committee opted for simplicity.
Griff- I think your posts have finally gone to the dogs! Must be that cold northwest wind. You may even have to change your blog to “Locally Groan.”
Griff, your story fact checker needs to check the facts, the Dundas Tea and Crumpets people are going to smuggle arms to the poodles via the Poodle Defamation League and the Poodle Red Collar (the PRC is an unauthorized subsidiary of the American Poodle Entertainment Society (APES), itself a top secret branch of Poodles Internationale). The $100 is a bounty to be paid on the hunters they get. Once again, Dundas stands firm in the face of the urban blighters.
At first, I was offended by this item, Griff, but when I check the Bible I find that neither Poodle-hunting nor Poodle-barbecuing is explicitly forbidden in the Scriptures. Is this some sort of local celebration of ground-dog day?
My cats scanned the headlines (they sit on the laptop keyboard for warmth and have become fans of the LoGroNo) and at first thought they were being discriminated against, assuming dogs would be doing the shooting and that cats were being banned from participating.
Upon more thorough reading of the story, they have deemed shooting of dogs for charity quite a wonderful activity and have no intention of getting in the way of all the fun. In fact, right now both are hiding under the sofa. (They’ve read the tales of hunters who couldn’t tell a deer from a cow and they don’t want anyone confusing them with a couple of springer spaniels).
Clay- I think Ground Hog day would have more effect upon the swine population than the Poodle population. I’m sure they will be in there rooting for the dogs, though. It is uncanny how animals stick together when the chips are down and the hunt is on.
I have just made a spectacle of myself at the office, going into fits of loud laughter and producing actual tears of mirth. Thanks for the mid-week lift!
The Poodle Shoot ended today, evidently a big success. I took these 3 photos at the dog park this aft. Lots of butt-sniffing going on but not a poodle to be seen anywhere.
