A Day for the Dogs on TMA Campus

Keeping Up With Kids  |  04/23/2015

The Toledo Museum of Art is hosting a day for the dogs called K-9 May 9, a Museum event geared towards pets and their owners.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, the Welles Sculpture Garden will be the setting for a number of Fido-friendly activities, from wiener dog races to a high-frequency music concert.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs along for the fun. Others visiting the Museum that day will have the opportunity to meet adoptable dogs from area rescues.

The festivities are being held in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition Best in Show: Animal Illustrations from the Mazza Collection, which is on view in Gallery 18 through July 5. Admission is free to K-9 May 9 and the exhibition.

“The children’s book illustrations on display in Best in Show reveal the special relationship we have with our pets,” said K-9 May 9 organizer Stephanie Elton, the Museum’s social media and digital communications manager and a self-proclaimed dog enthusiast. “We thought this would be a great way to celebrate that bond.”

The Museum has issued a Pet Portrait Challenge for children 12 years old and younger in conjunction with K-9 May 9. Parents or guardians can upload a picture of their child’s animal illustration to Facebook.com/ToledoMuseum for a chance to win prizes, including the opportunity to have their drawing turned into a glass sculpture. Contest entries are due by Saturday, April 25.

During K-9 May 9, visitors can watch dachshunds compete for “top dog” honors in races from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants can also enjoy hands-on or paws-on activities hosted by the Museum’s Family Center, where pet parents can make a mold of their pet’s paw and children can create portraits of their favorite animals.

A storyteller will read children’s books featured in the Best in Show exhibition, and docents will provide guided tours of the Welles Sculpture Garden.

Pet owners are asked to clean up after their dogs (bag dispensers will be handed out to the first 500 visitors and trash bins are located throughout the grounds). There will also be water bowls placed along pathways so visiting pets can stay hydrated. All dogs must be on a non-retractable leash that is six feet or shorter.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors and only assistance dogs will be allowed inside Museum buildings. Cancellation notices will be published on the Museum’s website and social media channels.

Best in Show: Animal Illustrations from the Mazza Collection is presented by Marathon Petroleum. Admission to the Museum is free; parking is free for members and $5 for non-members.