When Cameron Johnson visited a dog park in Indianapolis more than two decades ago, it sparked a passion that she never would have guessed would result in the popular Hendricks County event aimed at all things dogs – Dogtona.
Today it’s the Hendricks County Humane Society’s largest fundraiser, but back then it was simply a mission to bring a dog park to area. Dogtona will return to the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex on January 19.
“I thought we should have one in the county, and I wrote a letter to the editor at our local paper and asked people if they’d like to have a dog park, let’s meet up,” Johnson said. “About 15 people showed up to the first meeting and we decided we were going to do it.”
They put signs on their cars, sent mailings to Hendricks County residents and hosted a dog parade, to bring attention to the mission. They also came up with the idea of Spring Break at Dogtona, originally held in March at the National Guard Armory. They tied advertisements to dog biscuits and local banks would hand them out as dog owners passed through the drive through.
“We had about 75 people and their dogs show up,” Johnson said. “Dick Wolfsie came and autographed his book about [his dog] Barney. The first event went really well.”
They only charge $5 per dog – it’s free for the dog’s human – and they’ve never raised their admission price in all these years.
“We wanted to create an inexpensive day for families to have with their dog and we’re hoping to break even,” Johnson said. “We never made thousands and thousands, but it was enough to work with officials to create the first dog park in the county at Washington Township Park.”
It took seven years, and Johnson was there when it officially opened.
“I saw people playing with their dogs,” she said. “For all the petitions and the research and the events and the work, it was worth it. After Avon, others slowly began to come on board.”
At the time, she was on the board at the Humane Society and the event fit perfectly into part of their mission: “Strengthening the bond between humans and their pets.”
They were willing to lend their name to the event and the nonprofit was immediately on board to help, financially and otherwise.
“Each year it just kept growing,” Johnson said. “We quickly outgrew the armory and moved the event to the fairgrounds. Even during the pandemic, we never missed a year.”
They dropped the “Spring Break” portion of the event title and moved it to January. They’ve weathered ice storms and below-zero temps, but continue to bring in hundreds of dogs each year. It’s an event like no other.
Imagine a variety of breeds playing together, competing and having a ton of fun in a day focused on them and time with their owners.
A volunteer made an A-frame dog ramp, and they added games like Search and Re-shoe, hiding treats inside shoes for the dogs to find. They created the Great Lick-Off, a contest to see which dog can lick peanut butter off of a spoon the fastest.
Dogs and their owners can get a free family photo, and perhaps most popular is the dog show, with competitions like curliest tail, best kisser and more.
There’s even a Canine Café, offering food for human attendees.
Surrounding the dog play area and events are vendor booths, ranging from rescue centers to therapy dog groups. There are K9 demonstrations, CPR demonstrations, and during some years they’ve had a caricature artist on hand.
Over the years they’ve invited dancing dogs, pet massage therapists and an animal communicator to join them. It’s a different experience each time, but guaranteed fun for the dogs and the people too.
“One year I walked past a father, son and his dog,” Johnson said. “They had a rolled-up piece of paper from the caricature artist and the dad said, ‘We have a memory here.’ I know of two sisters that live in different towns. They schedule their visit together around Dogtona so they can all get together. To hear the stories and the excited kids throughout the day, it’s just a fun way to give people more places to have fun with their pet.”
It’s also a place of connection. Johnson said dog organizations and nonprofits have been able to meet each other and work together toward their missions.
“I’ve worked with the Central Indiana K9 Association and the Transportation Safety Authority, and they do demonstrations and educate people on what they are doing for the community,” Johnson said. “To me, the event just means people love their animals and want to spend time with them, so it’s a joy.”
Johnson said these days, many in the community have heard about the special event, but she still works with local veterinarians and pet food stores to spread the word.
“In the beginning we did a take on David Letterman’s Top 10 and made a list of reasons we needed a dog park,” she said. “The number-one reason was that a tired dog is a happy owner. We needed a place for people to get together that might not meet on the sports field or the kids’ event. It’s a community gathering spot and it makes me happy to see the dogs running and playing.”
There are dog parks in Plainfield, Avon and Brownsburg now. The Humane Society continues to earmark a portion of their budget for future dog parks, to support towns in other areas across the county.
Johnson is still serving as chairman of the Dogtona committee, and has seen volunteers come and go over the past two decades. She loves the creativity newcomers bring to the event, and hopes that one day someone will be willing to take the reins.
“It’s fun to work with the committee and come up with new ideas and new games,” she said. “We’ve tried things that didn’t work so well, but we learn year after year how to make it better.”
So much has happened as a result of a community joining together for a special cause.
“I just had this idea in my head,” Johnson said. “If you want a change, you need to do something. It just takes one person with an idea to get things happening for so many reasons. The support we’ve received from so many businesses and the Hendricks County Fairgrounds that continues to make the event affordable is unmatched.”
