Bangor’s Downtown Dog Day considered a ‘howling success’

BANGOR – Forget what you’ve heard about the dog days of summer. Saturday was definitely a good day to be a dog or dog owner for that matter.

It was cool and cloudy, not hot as the adage suggests, and dogs – those faithful companions that for some become an extension of the family or substitute children and grandchildren – were petted and pampered as Bangor hosted “Downtown Dog Day.”

Stores offered dog biscuits, drinks of water to quench a dog’s thirst, even a blessing from Franciscan friars.

Dog owners didn’t do so badly either, with many downtown stores offering incentives and discounts, some specifically on dog-related items, from soap to skin products and treats to toys.

The day was an effort to draw more people downtown. A city official, as well as some downtown merchants, said it worked.

“I would say it’s a howling success,” Sally Bates, an artist and an economic development officer for the city, said Sunday.

Already there is talk about holding it again next year. Bates sold a dog portrait she had done and purchased four St. Francis medallions, even though she doesn’t own a dog herself.

With a minimal investment – less than $500 – the downtown overall could see a windfall 20 or 30 times that easily, Bates said.

Lippincott Books looks out onto Central Street where a plywood cartoon dog welcomed canines and offered a turkey roasting pan as a water trough for thirsty dogs. Clerk Ginger Graham said the number of people in the used book store increased by about threefold on Saturday.

The sales and dog-friendly stores is what attracted Jennifer Cayer, 29, of Hampden who had thought about doing some shopping for herself.

But after her two-hour shopping excursion and meandering trip around the downtown, Cayer wound up with a small bag of stuff for her dog, Zora, a 9-month-old beagle, lab and terrier mix who weighs about 30 pounds.

“Somehow she manages to get to be the priority,” Cayer said.

Cayer and Zora shopped together in Epic Sports store, and Zora’s presence earned Cayer an additional 5 percent off the 15 percent discount price already offered for the harness, a soft Frisbee and dog treats.

Store owner Brad Ryder is a dog owner himself, as are nearly all his employees, so the store has been empathetic with dog owners who want their canine companions with them.

And he said it makes sense to have them there, especially when they need to try on a flotation vest.

Lucy, a basenji shiba inu mix, didn’t even fidget when she was being fitted for a life preserver by owner Molly Boyd, 28, formerly of Bangor but now a veterinarian technician with the U.S. Army in Maryland.

Boyd said she kayaks as well as participates in other water recreation, activities she wants to be able to share safely with Lucy.

“I think this is a wonderful idea to get them out and to socialize,” said Boyd, who was visiting family.

Across the street at the Friar’s Bakehouse, Brothers Don and Kenneth offered a little blessing along with biscuits for the dogs and bread to their owners. A few hours into the event, they already had blessed more than two dozen dogs.

Gussie, a 6-year-old border collie, and her new owner Trish Hayes, 44, came all the way from Milo for the dog day in Bangor and appreciated the blessing and the chance to expose Gussie to new environments.

Store owners and dog owners reported few incidents. Even a postal carrier walked around West Market Square unharried, though there were plenty of dogs nearby.

Standing in line at the bakehouse with a loaf of bread in his hand, one man couldn’t resist uttering a comical observation with the day.

“The downtown’s gone to the dogs, again,” he quipped.