Hayley Thomas

Staff Writer

The fur will fly as dogs of all breeds prance down the runway at The Doggie Fashion Show at Château Bow Wow in downtown Paso Robles, slated for this Wednesday, March 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The fanciful fashion show will sponsor Heaven Can Wait equine rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to caring for local horses and donkeys.

The pet-friendly boutique is advertised as a "heaven on earth" for dogs and cats, although the same could go for their enthusiastic owners. Customizable dog beds, a deli-style treat counter, organic foods, spa products and - of course - an assortment of chic pet attire, all add to the store's fun, animal centric appeal.

Owner Rameena Stubendorff said the four-legged fashion show is a first for the store, which opened a little less than a year ago.

"I think people will have a really good time [at the fashion show] We're going to have five female dogs and five male dogs in fashions and collars, and we'll end the evening with a little bride and groom," she said.

In addition, all of the fashions featured during the show will be available for purchase.

Three of the "male models" to perform in the show, Archie, Linus and Ralpie, belong to Stubendorff, who affectionately calls them "her babies." Other dogs to perform in the show belong to equally passionate customers who share Stubendorff's love of animals. These fellow pet lovers, Stubendorff said, are not all the kind who tote pampered Chihuahuas around in specialty purses.

"We're definitely going to have a bunch of little, fun dogs, but we're also going to have some big dogs too. I think people might feel that we're only about the little dogs, but we do a lot of big dog stuff," she said.

Clothing for larger dogs is also on sale at Château Bow Wow, along with fashionable harnesses and other accessories.

Although the event will take place on St. Patrick's Day, Stubendorff said she hopes people will take a few moments out of their evening festivities to check out the fury fashionistas. San Miguel winery Ranchetta Canyon will be pouring wine, It's a Wrap will provide food and pets will be privy to complementary dog snacks.

"I love to do stuff for charity," Stubendorff said. "Anything I can do for animal rescue, it's so huge for me, and it seemed like a really fun idea, so I'm looking forward to it."



For the complete article see the 03-16-2010 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 03-16-2010 paper.

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