Businesses Invited to Become Involved in Duluth Dog Park Mayor Campaign

The City of Duluth Parks and Recreation Department and Duluth Historical Society have launched a campaign to involve businesses in the election of a new Chattapoochee Dog Park Mayor. The business partners would serve as “Blue Ribbon Sponsors” of the Chattapoochee PetFest in the fall.

The winner of this year’s Dog Park Mayor election will be announced at the 2013 Chattapoochee PetFest on Sunday, Oct. 6. The pet festival will be held at the Chattapoochee Dog Park in Rogers Bridge Park.

The Parks and Recreation Department recently announced Duluth Top Dog’s candidate guidelines and entry process to the public. Candidate entries must be submitted by Friday, August 2. Finalists will be selected by the city later in the summer. Click here for entry form.

The city will then encourage the public to support their candidate by visiting specially designated “Blue Ribbon Sponsor” locations, according to a news release announcing the sponsorship opportunity.

Blue Ribbon Sponsors will consist of businesses and organizations that sign up to become a sponsor of the 2013 Chattapoochee PetFest through the Duluth Historical Society by Friday, Aug. 23. In late August, The city will provide basic materials and suggestions on how sponsors can promote the election. The campaign will officially run from Sept. 1-29.

City-provided materials will include:

• Identification as an Official Voting Place in city campaign materials
• A Blue Ribbon Sponsor sign designating the business as an official voting place
• An Official "Blue Ribbon Sponsor" emblem to add to business websites
• A packet of information containing campaign guidelines and suggestions

Blue Ribbon Sponsors are encouraged to use the election as an opportunity to help draw in new business and to exercise creativity in their promotion of the dog mayor election.

Sponsors will be acknowledged in dog mayoral campaign materials and publications.

“Shiner” was announced as the city’s first Chattapoochee Dog Park Mayor at the grand opening of the park in April 2012.  Over the past year “Shiner” has served as very visible ambassador for the city, the dog park and the Duluth community.

The Chattapoochee Dog Park was named “Best Dog Park” in Gwinnett last year by Best of Gwinnett Magazine when it created a new category as a result of public write-in votes.

This visibility also helped to make last year’s Chattapoochee PetFest the most successful with more than 50 vendors and 1,000 attendees and their pets. 

For more information about the Blue Ribbon Sponsorship program, contact the Duluth Historical Society at duluthtopdog@gmail.com.