Information Regarding Participating In Dogtoberfest

  • You are the participant. The walk registration is $25 per participant. You can walk with your dog(s), in memory of your loved pets or in honor of your cat!
  • Participation Includes:
    • Access to all Dogtoberfest event areas (except VIP)
    • Event t-shirt for you (1)
    • Event bandanna for your dog (1)
    • Goodie Bag (1)
    • FUNDRAISING Trick or Treat walk with your dog
    • Participation in the all categories of the costume contest
    • Off leash privileges in a portion of the park, for pets that meet the following guidelines:

All dogs must be current with their vaccines, and should wear their current license tags.  For safety reasons, male dogs 8 month of age and older must be neutered.  In general neutering tends to lessen any aggressive tendencies a male dog may have toward other dogs.  (FCNMHP believes that all dogs should be spayed and neutered unless used for breeding).  While off leash, you must keep an eye on your dog at all times.  If annoying (to the other dog or its owner) or aggressive behavior is observed, take immediate action;  either move your dog to another part of the park, leave the park, or do whatever you have to do to prevent the behavior (time-out to redirect behavior, etc.)

For safety reasons, children must be at least 4 feet tall to go into the off leash area.  Carried babies no older than 12 months may be taken into all areas of the off leash, as well as children of all ages in strollers, but parents with strollers are warned to be very careful when an unknown dog gets near the stroller.  Children will be expected to play in an adult manner in the off leash section with no running, no chasing dogs, no petting of others’ dogs unless permission is granted by the owners first, and must at all times be in close proximity to their adult guardian. 

Puppies must be at least 12 weeks of age to be off leash.  The safest collar for your dog to wear off leash is a flat buckle collar (actually a breakaway collar is even safer).  We do not allow dogs in the off leash part of the park to wear prong or pinch collars.  These are training collars and should not be left on a dog when it plays.  We highly discourage the use of choke chain collars, as these can be dangerous.  No shock collars.

Digging is not allowed.  If your dog does dig a hole, do your best to fill it in.  No more than 3 dogs per person.  No dogs in heat, sick dogs or dogs with fleas or possible contagious skin conditions. 


General Admission

The park is open to the public for free admission.

Participation in the FUNDRAISING Trick or Treat Walk is a minimum $25 per participant.

Participation in the costume contest is $5 per category.
If you are a walk participant the costume contest is included.

Visa, Mastercard accepted. 


Please start asking your friends, co-workers and neighbors for pledges now to help raise money for First Coast No More Homeless pets, and go to www.firstgiving.com/fcnmhp  to set up a web page where you can track your fundraising success.  OR, bring a sheet with your donations documented with you to the event.  In either case, we appreciate you spreading the word about the need for spay/neuter funding to help end the senseless killing of the pet overpopulation here in the Jacksonville area.  About 100 pets are taken in every day, and about 70 of them are killed due to pet overpopulation.  Will you please help us? 


Thanks!  We look forward to seeing you and having some fun at Dogtoberfest 2010 at Metropolitan Park!