Word out of the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run is that Beggin' Strips — manufactured and sold in North America by Nestlé Purina PetCare division — will sponsor the Halloween Dog Parade for the next five years (starting this fall). According to a tipster, the deal is worth $20,000 a year. (Beggin' Strips "are mouthwatering dog treats with an aroma that bacon-craving dogs love.")
We heard a mixed reaction from dog owners. One disappointed dog runner claims that Nestlé will be calling all the shots about what transpires during the event, now in its 23rd year. The dog run/First Run is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that "relies entirely on community donations for its upkeep and financial support," per its website. So another regular figures that the money will help maintain the dog run.
Meanwhile, no word if the new corporate sponsorship will put an end to any risqué costumes ...
[From last year, via Stacie Joy]
Updated 11:36 a.m.
Via the comments from Garrett Rosso, volunteer manager, Tompkins Square dog run
This year's Halloween dog parade in Tompkins Square park will focus on rescue groups and pet adoptions from Rescuzilla, Grateful Greyhounds, The Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals and Friends of Animal Rescue. Beggin' Strips will help underwrite the cost of the parade & adoption event as all public events require large amounts of money that our group can not afford.
This stuff is the equivalent of doggie McDonalds.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous is absolutely correct about Beggin Strips. I do know that none of my dog run friends will let their dogs eat this kind of crap. Hopefully the cash will be used to maintain and improve the run.
ReplyDeleteOh but there will be samples aplenty for doggies to eat I'm sure. What will be interesting to see is if any of the health-conscious owners will allow their dogs to truly eat the mouth-watering treats with the bacon aroma they love. Heh.
ReplyDeleteSo, is Nestlé better or worse than Citibikes and 7-Elevens? Jury is still out.
ReplyDeleteIs there NOTHING anymore that corporations won't step in and shove their name on under the guise of "community good"? Jesus.
ReplyDeleteEnough with the corporations coopting our streets and neighborhoods. Those things are garbage. Comparing them to McDs is a step up.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that they got an infusion of cash to help make the event better. I went once, and it was a mess. I wanted to enter my dog in the competition, and I--along with other people--kept getting passed off to various staffers, and most of us finally gave up. It wasn't organized at all, and the people working the event were overwhelmed. So take the money and get organized, but please, please, please don't feed your dogs this crap!
ReplyDeleteDear EVGrieve. Don't you think you should check your facts first. This year's Halloween dog parade in Tompkins Square park will focus on rescue groups and pet adoptions from Rescuzilla, Grateful Greyhounds, The Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals and Friends of Animal Rescue. Beggin' Strips will help underwrite the cost of the parade & adoption event as all public events require large amounts of money that our group can not afford. -- Garrett Rosso, volunteer manager, Tompkins Square dog run
ReplyDeleteDoggie McDonalds is an apt description...
ReplyDeleteI didn't know dogs could get heart attacks until a neighbor told me his had one...
McD's should be a one in a couple months treat... not a daily occurrence.
How many of you haters have volunteered any of your time or money to help out?
ReplyDeleteI swear, some people just like to whine and moan about everything! Even the computer / phone that you're using to post these angry messages are made by corporations - as is the internet connection that you need, along with the clothes on your back as well as the food that you eat. If you have so much angst against corporations, go take up an amish lifestyle.
I actually do volunteer my time and marketing services for a greyhound charity. My participation, or anyone else's lack there of, doesn't make these garbage strips healthy.
ReplyDeleteSure I am typing this on an iPhone but I don't need a corporation glomming onto some of life's simpler things like pet shows in the park. Can we get ANY escape from corporations?
My dog is old now healthy but old we always used the dog run and went to a few of the Halloween days five six years back it was less crowd then success can be a spoiler. If the pet supply company puts up twenty thousand dollars a year for sponsorship why not the maintenance of the run is not free people complaining here. I don't think are lining up with cash donations if you believe the product not good for your pet no one has a loaded gun to it forcing a purchase.
ReplyDeleteFYI: Dogs lick their own assholes, is a Beggin' Strip really much worse than that? Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree here, but just wanted to throw that in to the conversation.
ReplyDeletePredictable that these same characters complain about everything, regardless of what they do or don't know. Those bacon strips are treats, not a main food source. The dogs love them. Sometimes I have a candy bar, a glass of whiskey, a cigar, sometimes I stay up too late, and sometimes I eat a whole pizza pie. Sometimes my dog gets a tasty non-healthfood snack. So thanks for worrying about us mom. Meantime have you made it illegal for me to buy a large soda yet, or is that one still pending?
ReplyDeleteSheesh.
Awesome, Marty. Glad to see that Peoria hasn't chilled your sense of humor.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pasadosafehaven.org/2012/02/killing-me-softly-the-truth-behind-pet-treat-labels/
ReplyDeletewow reading all the complaints about corp america......shut the hell up
ReplyDeletethey are donating money to the dog park......the dogpark needs this help
how many of you donated time or money to maintain the dog park...
you don't want to eat the strips then don't ...no one is forcing you to do crap
Hey, the word around the dog run is that the donation is $10,000, not $20,000. Isn't that pretty much what was getting raised every year when it was a locally sponsored event?
ReplyDeleteCan you clear this up? And maybe find out what they're going to do with the money?
It is a public park, after all.
Just curious, are these people who are so offended that their dog may enjoy a snack that is not earth-friendly-organic-vegan-gluten-free the same tough guys that reliably tell everyone how much they miss the rough-trade days on the streets here?
ReplyDeleteProfessional whiners, riding both sides of the street.
This is a terrbily divisive and hurtful post that is full of falsehoods, bad reporting, hearsay and anonymous - meaning cowardly -- sources.
ReplyDeleteThe dog park needs to be maintained from community donations. Over the years numerous businesses, magainzes, and pet foods suppliers have lent their support and donations to help put on this event and fund the dog park. Past sponsors have included People Magazine, The Bark Magazine, Purina, Nutro, Stella & Chewey's, Jack Spade, Petopia and the list continues. This year is no different.
All of those sponsorships representated hundreds of hours of work from volunteers to secure fundraising for our park.
This year Beggin' Stips will make a $10,000 donation to the park, donate over $3,500 in prizes and contribute thousands of dollars underwriting the event.
100% of the funds raised from this event are held by City Parks Foundation for the maintenance & upkeep of the Tompkins Square dog run. All work at the dog park is done under the oversight and approval of NYC Parks Dept.
Costs for the run included roughly $10,000 every other year for resurfacing, $20,000 for building the deck in the small run to protect the ancient elm. Future cost include an estimated $10,000-$15,000 to rebuild the leaking drinking faucets and concrete bath areas in both sides of the run. We are also recieving bids that range from $50,000 to over $100,000 to relandscape the center field so that it is less dusty.
Yes, it costs a lot of money to maintain a facility in a public park -- as well as building with materials that can withstand the unprecedented wear and tear from over 50-75 cannine visitors and their owners per hour.
Please develop some perspective in what you post. This is a local parade and dog owners in our community need your support.
Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Garret Rosso
Volunteer, Tompkins Square dog run
I posted the first comment about McD's.
ReplyDeleteWe recently pet sat our in-law's dogs for a week, and I bought 2 bags of Beggin' Strips as a treat. My sister in law told me that I would NOT be happy cleaning up their poop after they had eaten them.
Instead, we gave them veggies, cheese and an occasional scrap of people food. They both love baby carrots, and one of them will stop dead in her tracks if you say the word "carrot".
I returned the unopened treats to the supermarket.
bacon bacon bacon Bacon B-A-C-O-N!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel similarly about this as I do about CitiBike... Do I wish it had sufficient funding without corporate sponsorship? You bet, but if our local government is not eager to put appropriate amounts of funding into dog runs and bike share, I'll accept the funding we can get elsewhere, so that we can keep these services. Many of us use and appreciate the dog run and bike share. *Something* has to fund them.
ReplyDeleteWill there be free fake doggie bacon for the crusties?
ReplyDeleteGarrett,
ReplyDeleteThose figures for the renovations/projects seem seriously bloated. Can you really trust whoever is quoting you those prices? I know a guy in Brooklyn whose crew can do the same work for half the price.
Just kidding. But seriously, you may want to call for more cost efficient quotes. Looks like your group is being taken for a ride.
-One your friendly neighborhood nose cutter-offerers (hehehheh)
So 4:24, you don't even HAVE dogs, yet you presume to tell others what to feed their dogs.
ReplyDeletePriceless.
I am going to cover a CitiBike in Beggin' Strips Ride thru the parade and entice all the dogs to follow... gotta be easier than trying to lead the TSP rats away with a flute, right?
ReplyDeleteThose figures are incredibly bloated indeed! I use the dog park regularly, have for several years, and those figures are not reflected in any work being done there either cosmetically or structurally since the park was first redone 3-4 years ago. And Garret if your going to speak on behalf of the dog run don't sound like such a defensive dick. This thread wasn't about you not the dog run.
ReplyDeleteFunny but back before this dusty filthy renovation, the natural earth worked just fine. Most users never wanted the renovation done, but a certain clique did, and now here we are, costs a fortune to maintain. And now ANOTHER $100,000 to reduce the dust!, everyone who did any research before the renovation said that was the main reason NOT to do the change in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWas an insider scam from the start. Us dogs can smell a fish a long way off. This one has always had a bad smell.
"No good deed goes unpunished."
ReplyDelete@moe,
ReplyDeleteI am a CARETAKER of dogs. Don't need to own one to CARE for one. What's so hard for you to understand about that ?
I miss the dead tree trunk in the middle of the big run that some genius carved into the shape of a large dog bone standing on end. Still not sure why that had to go, guess it just was too homespun and local to fit in to to the new upscale playground.
ReplyDeleteI heard that it wasn't a 5 year deal either. It is a 1 year deal with a worthless "option" to come back for another 4 years. But it has to be agreed to by both sides.
ReplyDeleteAnd whoever is talking about the costs or the dirt bowl, either hasn't thought through shit (the pun must be applied here), or just likes the self ingratiating act of sounding important (uh-oh I'm feeling it now, too). I'm not ruling out it being both.
It isn't just as simple as a dog shitting in the woods.
Instead of focusing your lives on dogs, have children and learn the wonder and awe of parenthood.
ReplyDeleteYeah, make some more children to ensure a steady supply of meat for the machine
ReplyDeleteYes no neck little monsters and parenthood the "awe" you say how about "awe shit" more like it! Dogs any day Tompkins has three play pens for the brats...
ReplyDeleteWow! The vituperative energy poured into commenting on an event created for the enjoyment and fun of dogs and their owners which benefits a dog run is astonishing.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the comments on dog run renovation costs, I can speak from experience; everything costs more in Manhattan. If you have contact information for inexpensive, reliable, trustworthy vendors that you can vouch for, dear commenter, please share! In the meantime, if you're a dog owner, enjoy the dog run and the privilege of using a facility few can match. Big kiss to all the doggies!
They have a better chance of acceptance and attracting customers if they were going to have a froyo flavored strips served in a hoof. Heck, they may even get high five from a dog.
ReplyDelete