Island dog show growth prompts shift to Cruz Bay Next weekend’s Wagapalooza will be held at the Winston Wells ball field of the Sprauve School. The 5th annual fund raiser to benefit the St. John Animal Care Center will "bark off" Sunday morning, May 1. Dozens of island dogs, and dog owners, will be featured as they vie for prizes and awards in categories such as "Best Costume", "Most Dog-Owner Look- Alike," and "Best in Show."
The event began five years ago in Coral Bay, headquartered and organized by the owners of Skinny Legs and Jen and Jeff Donnelly. But the number of attendees increased and has made a cozy event at Skinny’s unmanageable now, and so the show has moved.
The ball field will be turned into "Waga Town", with animal lovin’ products and services from festival-like booths ringing the space. The Waga Photo Contest "is open to all spoiled cats, dogs, birds, reptiles … whatever," said Celia Kalousek, a spokeswoman for the event. Many local businesses have donated items which will be included in a fund- raising raffle. This is the second event for the Animal Care Center this year. In March, a dinner and auction at the Westin Resort generated almost $50,000 to reorganize and re-open the Center. Sheila Karcher is the ACC’s president, Diana Ripley is vice president, John Fuller is secretary, and Holly Hardy is treasurer.