Good news! Ireland is hosting it’s first ever dog festival

Good news for all you doggie lovers out there, not only is today National Dog Day, you also have Ireland's first dog festival to look forward to!

National Dog Day was set up to recognise the number of dogs that need rescue and rehoming each year, and it's a day to celebrate the work and companionship dogs bring to us every day. 

'The Doggie Do' will take place in Merrion Square on Saturday the 12th of September and has been described as "Mardi Gras for mutt and man."

This is a family friendly event which will be MC'd by Irish style icon Darren Kennedy. 

As the website for the event describes it: "The Doggie Do is a family-friendly festival celebrating our dogs. Expect a fun day at Merrion Sq, Dublin, with talks, games, grooming, music, chow, screenings and a doggie dress-up parade to crown the ‘Dog Of Dublin 2015'."

The festival is a celebration of our unique bonds with our fluffy friends and was inspired by the annual Halloween dog parade in New York. 

Bring your dog along and see his he/she will be crowned the inaugural "dog of Dublin". There will be a strong focus on responsible dog ownership, Vet Q&As and talks from top groomers & trainers on the day. 

And this is our favourite part… "To give our canine besties some of the pampering they deserve, there will be a ‘Doggie and Soul’  chill out area  – while for us humans there will be a picnic ‘market garden’ with some of Ireland’s finest food producers, live music, and in the evening, an open-air movie screening."

There will also be a cookery demonstration entitled 'Boneful', led by pooch enthusiast Aoife McElwain, who will be showing how to bake healthy, homemade treats for our doggies.