Dogs and their people gather around Jellybean, the mascot of Bone Jour dog grooming salon in Bethesda, during the Yappy Hour at the Irish Inn in Glen Echo on Wednesday, May 31. Photo by Peggy McEwan/The Almanac
It was the usual scene of leash tangles, butt sniffing and the occasional face-off when Yappy Hour, Pints and Pups, was held at the Irish Inn in Glen Echo May 31.
Surprisingly, though, there were no fights and little barking from the dogs as they wandered about checking out the social scene. Most of the noise came from their dog-loving owners chatting and enjoying music by the 19th Street Band which filled the restaurant’s front parking lot its signature rock ‘n’roll sounds.
The happy/yappy hour was a fundraiser for the Montgomery County Humane Society and Second Chance Wildlife Center.
“We do a lot of Yappy Hours during the summer months,” said Chris Bumbaugh, president and CEO of the Humane Society. “They are a fundraiser and a friend-raiser. Folks like to come and show off their dogs. It is a celebration of the animal-human bond.”
The Humane Society has been serving Montgomery County for 59 years. They work strictly with cats and dogs with the ultimate goal of adopting them into loving homes, Bumbaugh said.
Second Chance Wildlife Center in Gaithersburg did not have any clients at the event, the nonprofit works strictly as a wildlife rehabilitator, director Jim Monza said.
“We take in sick, orphaned or injured wildlife, get them well and release them,” Monsma said.
He said they work with about 3,000 animals per year and this is their busy season when they get 30 or more patients per day.
“They suffer just like everyone else,” he said. “The good thing is we don’t need to find a home for them.”
Thinking about unusual animals the center has taken care of, Monsma said they once rehabbed a snail with a cracked shell. It took a long time, he said. Evidently snails are slow in every way.
While staff from the Irish Inn grilled burgers and chicken for sandwiches and served Guinness and other beers, children jumped in a bouncy house decorated on top with, what else, a dog.
This is the first time they have had one of those, organizer Becky Pugh, owner of Bone Jour dog grooming salon in Bethesda, said. It’s to keep the children happy.
Many of the guests seemed to know each other, mostly from other Yappy Hours, many said.
Kirt Syomela of Bethesda was there with Sasha, a 7-year-old long coated German Shephard. He said he has been to other people/dog events.
“We are here to support Becky and the Humane Society, he said. “We’re just dog people.”
So it went with Patricia McGarry, of Germantown with Indy and Meesha, “adopted mutts,” and Kelli Gray, of Bethesda, with Pebbles and female boxer.
Other Yappy Hours are scheduled for June 28 at Union Jack’s at Rio, 9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg; July 12 at Denizens Brewing Company, 1115 East-West Highway, Silver Spring and August 24 at Redwood Bethesda Row, 7121 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda. Admission to each is $15 per person or $25 per couple, dogs free.