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LIFESTYLE LETTER

Kids and Pets Issue

August 2022 PUBLISHER S

Jahna Eichel | jahna.eichel@citylifestyle.com Jason Eichel | jason.eichel@citylifestyle.com EDITOR IAL COOR DINATOR

Summer is winding down, but not first without the last hoorah of festivals, fun and family. The summer tends to feel like it flies by the older we get, as do the years but the simple pleasures never get old. Jason and I find ourselves longing for school to begin again, until it dawns on us that summer is over and school drop off begins again. It’s really bittersweet, isn’t it. We had so much fun putting together this issue for you. We know you love animals as much as we do and this issue is chock full of dogs and cats galore. Our cover model, Rico Weston was adopted by our very own editorial coordinator, Tyler Weston right after our photo shoot with Animal Friends Alliance and is now a fixture in our office. Our August issue is dedicated to the furriest members of our community. Pets have a way of making us feel special and their loyalty and sense of wonder is refreshing. In this issue we also highlight a program for CSU athletics to gain life skills and career experience through internships and community involvement. Our community outreach coordinator Rachel shared her trip to France with us in this issue and anoter one of our team members, Lily, gives us her family recipe for a peach cobbler. From ALL of us here at Fort Collins City Lifestyle, we hope you have an incredible August. We love you! JAHNA AND JASON EICHEL, PUBLISHERS @FORTCOLLINSLIFEST YLEMAGAZINE

Tyler Weston | tyler.weston@citylifestyle.com CONTR IBUTING WR ITER

Graham Mackey graham@fortcollinscreativeagency.com STAFF PHOTOGR APHER

Chase Brock | chase@fortcollinscreativeagency.com SALES MANAGER

Matthew Hart matthew@fortcollinscreativeagency.com SOCIAL MEDIA COOR DINATOR

The Creative Agency hello@fortcollinscreativeagency.com AD DESIGNER

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Antanette Ray CONTR IBUTING WR ITER S

Lily Contestable, Rachel Hawley CONTR IBUTING PHOTOGR APHER S

Austin Hannon, Rachel Hawley, Craig Vollmer, Tyler Weston

Corporate Team CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Randy Radosevich DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson AD MANAGER Chad Jensen WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Fort Collins City Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Fort Collins area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Fort Collins City Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable,

L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R

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AUGUST 2022

inside the issue The Kids and Pets Issue

F E ATU R E D

D E PA RTM E NTS

16 Peachy Keen

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

Locally Sourced

FO O D + B EV E R AG E

Local Limelight

EDU CAT I O N

Travel Journal

Inspired By

Travel Journal

Our Town

Celebrating Summer, Family, and the best Peaches in Colorado

22 A RAM (Real and Meaningful) Life Creating connections and opportunities for CSU’s student athletes

28 Le Vie Avec L’Espérance A walk through the spirit of France

34 Bringing Paws Together Animal Friends on a Mission

O N T H E C OV E R

Photography: Tyler Weston Recently adopted from Animal Friends Alliance, Ricardo sports some stylish new shades.

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city scene

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1-7: Lemons & Lace hosted an open house to celebrate the opening of their new location.

C I T Y SC E N E

14 12

8-14: Fort Collins Independence Day Parade

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15-21: The first ever Trout Tank event was hosted at The Lyric Cinema. Non-profits gave their best pitches to local “Trout” business owners. Fort Collins City Lifestyle, Arula, Small Fish Business Consulting, Blue Federal Credit Union, Neenan Archistructure, Fire Tribe, and The Christman Family Foundation teamed up to give $32,000 in cash and in-kind donations to Friends of Lory State Park, Blues Behind Bars, SNAPP, Horsetooth Fest, Uplift FoCo, and FoCo Roller Derby. Keep an eye out for our upcoming features with Friends of Lory State Park!

C I T Y SC E N E

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22-28: Xanadu Med Spa hosted an open house to celebrate the opening of their new Body Contouring Center. They welcomed members of the community and gave demonstrations to educate people on their services and treatments.

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29-35: The Realities Cup Invitational Golf Tournament is a golf and dining experience unique to Northern Colorado. Honored guests play the private 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Championship Golf Course at Ptarmigan Country Club, enjoy stunning international cuisine, and have the chance to win hole-in-one prizes including a One Million Dollar Cash Prize.

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C I T Y SC E N E

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K E E N Celebrating Summer, Family, and the best Peaches in Colorado

LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | FOOD + BE VE RAGE

You can’t have a peach festival without the love of people!

Here in Fort Collins, we a-peach-iate the community! That means family fun filled with activities, music, food, and memories to share. Fort Collins’ 12th annual Peach Festival is the place to be. After having to skip a few summers, the Rotary Club’s Peach Festival community chair David Haase, tells us that they’re back in business and ready to welcome everyone with open arms. I asked Haase what crowd favorites there are for us to look forward to and it was quite the list! In such a music-based community, you can’t host an event without live music. You’ll get to experience performances from School of Rock and local high school bands for the younger attendees, along with Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra with dancers from Fiesta Colorado Dance Company and Clark Street Station just to name a few. “Live music was a favorite and is even more so now cause, I mean, you see so many people now that are like ‘I want to get back out,’ ‘I want to do things,’ ‘I want to travel, ‘I want to be with large groups of people again,’ ‘I want to go to sporting events, festivals,’ and the last couple years there’s just not a lot of that being done,” Haase states, “Should be a blast!” For those who are more food motivated, you’re in luck! Local vendors, food trucks, brewers, and of course peach-themed goodness are just a few oh-so-sweet treats you can expect to see. The best part? Full access to hundreds of fresh Palisade peaches brought down from the Grand Junction area on the

west slope just for you! “Palisade peaches are, you know, nationally famous peaches and they’re fantastic. I always tell people that next year you’re going to ask me ‘when can I get them?’ and that’s exactly what happens,” he says, “it is a cool time of year here in Colorado.” You can’t have a peach festival without the love of people! Hasse extends his arms to anyone who wants to play a part in this popular event. I asked Haase what the word community means to him, his response was that community means “no exclusions,” giving everyone the chance to participate whether you’re a guest, performer, or vendor. “There’s a lot of great entrepreneurial people out there and we want to make sure that they take part with us.” With many jobs suffering in the last couple of years, Hasse took every opportunity to allow business owners and workers to earn their living. “Well, with these festivals going away for the last couple of years,” he states, “a lot of these small businesses, food trucks, and places like that didn’t have as many, you know, chances to go out and earn a living. They didn’t have the chance to participate as they had in the past and we’re glad that we can keep this going as best we can.” This Summer, Fort Collins is once again bringing its beloved community together for a day of music, games, and sweet treats! Join the fun on August 27th at the Holiday Twin Drive-In, we can’t wait! CONTINUED >

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LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | FOOD + BE VE RAGE

THE PERFECT PALISADE PEACH COBBLER Level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 10 min | Active: 25 mi Yield: 4 - 6 servings Filling: • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¾ cup sugar • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 5 Palisade peaches! Directions: Cut peaches into ¼-inch-thick slices. This should take up to about 5 cups. Place all ingredients into a medium sized saucepan and over medium heat to cook. Stir occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and peach juices are beginning to boil. From here, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, then remove. Batter: • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt • ½ stick unsalted butter • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder • ¾ all purpose flour • ¾ cup sugar • ¾ cup of room temperature milk Directions: Place butter in a 2-quart baking dish and place in the oven while preheating 350 degrees F. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, stir the vanilla and milk and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Continue whisking until all ingredients are mixed well. Take cobbler out of the oven and evenly pour a layer of batter over the melted butter. Over the batter, spoon the peaches and peach juice over the top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes until peach juices are bubbling and the cobbler is golden brown. Last steps! Let the cobbler cool to room temperature before serving and enjoy! Pro tip! The perfect peach cobbler is best served with a scoop of sweet vanilla ice cream on top.

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A RAM (REAL AND MEANINGFUL) LIFE Creating connections and opportunities for CSU’s student athletes ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYLER WESTON

In the players lounge at Hughes Stadium there is a wall adorned with logos and plaques representing all 32 NFL teams and listing the names of each player to advance to professional football after college. Those particular success stories only represent a very small portion of players who’ve passed through the program of course, and only a small portion of the successes. Colorado State University’s RAM Life program, RAM meaning Real and Meaningful, and Program Director Ricky Santo are on a mission to not only celebrate those after-college-wins, but create as many of them as they can. “It’s the right thing to do for the athletes.” Santo’s program, started in 2020, is meant to expand opportunities for all of the players, whether they eventually play professionally or not. It’s a role he takes seriously and loves every minute of, “I have the best job in America!” Organizing job fairs that fit into athletes' busy schedules, building relationships with local and national businesses alike to organize internships or job shadowing - RAM Life is all about connecting these students with professionals and opportunities from a wide variety of industries. The relatively new program has been piloted with the football program but is now set to expand for all the schools dedicated student athletes. Where their lives

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are often too hectic for jobs during the season or to fully take advantage of all of the career opportunities created by the school, this program is designed to bring those opportunities to the players. For players like Henry Blackburn, it makes all of the difference. “It means buying into the community,” like many of his teammates, Blackburn considers Fort Collins his home. “We’re really connecting with these people and setting up relationships. Whether it’s in three years or down the road after playing in the NFL, when we come to life after football we’re going to have these connections.” Always looking to create more chances for his student athletes to gain experience, Santo encourages businesses of any size and from any industry to reach out, participate in their September job fair, and take an extra step to support the home team, and deepen the connection these talented young men and women feel in our community. Reach out to him via email to get involved! ricky.santo@colostate.edu

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | ED UCATI ON

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Le Vie Avec L ’Espérance ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHEL HAWLEY

The French Ideal of Unlimited Hope

In a small art gallery on the Rue Saint-Louise en Île, we first heard the expression: L'Espérance. The gallerist walked us through austere works of art that he explained captured the French ideals of L'Espérance; hope without the limitations of time, he explained further. “Not to be confused with ‘espoir’,” the gallerist clarified the French word for hope. “But rather a feeling of espoir that cannot be stopped.” Surrounded by beautiful minimalist paintings of the female body, posed as if dancing, but with melancholy half grins; I thought the artist had captured the principal well. Leaving the gallery, we made our way across the bridge, onto the second island, and towards Notre Dame. Nearing the historic Cathedral, the expression stuck with me. In 2019 the Cathedral was engulfed in flame, either due to an electrical mishap or a cigarette left behind, knowing the French it was likely the latter. The world-renowned rose windows were not permanently harmed, but even today still sit blackened by the smoke. Looking up at this rather gloomy sight, I thought more and more about why the French needed L'Espérance. The Cathedral is unfortunately closed to visitors, and likely will be for years. After a few minutes of staring up at the ominous gargoyles, and sadly not spotting The Hunchback of Notre Dame that Victor Hugo promised lived up there, we moved on to our next destination. We arrived at the Musée du Louvre, where we were met with stares from famous French writers and philosophers that are engraved on the museum walls. One of those faces was Jean-Jacques Rousseau,

a famous philosopher, and author of “The Social Contract,” among many others. His writings were later a big inspiration in creating the U.S constitution. A quote of his appeared in my mind as we shuffled around trying to find the back of the line, the large crowd causing us all to bump into one another, “the general will is always in the right, but the judgment which guides it is not always enlightened.” After about thirty minutes, we made our way into the glass pyramid and down into the museum. We made our way through beautiful marble statues, most originating from Greece. One piece that stood out among the others was The Winged Victory of Samothrace. Atop a giant ship made of stone sits the winged statue of the goddess of victory, Nike. This statue used to sit on the island of Samothrace, although its true origin and maker are unknown, it now sits at the top of a grand staircase in the museum as a nod to her place on the island. She serves as a great reminder of what victory means to the people of France, and as victory is born from hope, a great reminder of L'Espérance. While the marble carvings, Egyptian statues, and DaVinci paintings are all an amazing sight, The Napoleon III Apartments stood out the most. The wealth of the second empire of France was astounding. It seemed unimaginable that people would gather for parties and feasts in such luxury. The wealth displayed in Napoleon’s wing, of what was once the Louvre Palace, along with other French Palaces such as Versailles, is unmatched by any wealth displayed to this day. The crystal chandeliers and

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paintings of Napoleon III’s wife in beautiful gowns made me feel very underdressed. So, we decided that it was a good time to go back to our Airbnb and change for dinner. At Le Meurice, chef Alain Ducasse prepared a delicious meal for us. Our first course was an assortment of nuts, bread, and olives. Followed by our main meal of foie gras pâté, chilled spider crab, and roasted Lacaune lamb. But the main attraction of Le Meurice is the dessert. Chef Ducasse’s line of fruit-themed desserts was the highlight of the evening. The ambiance itself makes you feel as though you have gone back in time, but these modern desserts will launch you back into the present. The beauty of the interior design made me feel as posh as Napoleon III. To finish the night, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. Arguably the most famous building in France. The Tower was built to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Taking an old rickety elevator to the top, which was honestly as scary as Disney’s Tower of Terror, we luckily made it up without any drops. Overlooking the entirety of Paris, we could pinpoint exactly how far we had walked that day, which ended up being a total of fourteen miles. My feet certainly burned, but the lights glowing from Paris beneath us helped me to ignore the pain. Good shoes are essential for traveling to Paris. Standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by people from all over the world, hearing many different languages, and seeing different styles of clothing and hair, it made sense that Paris would be the place to inspire L'Espérance. Everyone had journeyed to this exact spot to see and do the same things. In a way, this bonded everyone together in a shared interest. The revolution and war endured in the late 1700s were the inspiration behind L'Espérance and created a dream of peace that is shared by each country in the world today.

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ARTICLE BY GRAHAM MACKEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYLER WESTON

Bringing Paws Together Sarah Swanty initially started the Fort Collins Cat Rescue Spay Neuter Clinic back in 2006 with her friend in a strip mall off Mulberry Street. Eventually the co-founder of Animal House, Ali Eccelston, reached out to Swanty because she was thinking of leaving the organization. This happened in 2018 and the two thought they would better serve the community by combining the shelters into one. Swanty said this process of working to merge the separate organizations took about 18 months. In 2020 they became Animal Friends Alliance. “By pooling our resources and coming together we would be able to help more animals,” says Swanty. Joining the two under one name is only one piece of the many pawed puzzle that is Animal Friends Alliance. Currently there are two active campuses in Fort Collins, one on Mulberry

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Street and the other one on Taft Hill Avenue, which can be confusing because they both operate as shelters - Mulberry being for cats and Taft Hill for dogs. The plan to consolidate both facilities under a single roof inspired the name for their current fundraising campaign, “Bringing Paws Together.” Construction is underway to expand the Taft Hill facility to house both frisky felines and cunning canines, which will help make the organization more efficient, says Swanty. She is amazed at all the good they accomplished working out of a strip mall built in the 1970s. That good is measured by more than 2600 cats and kittens finding their forever homes through a space that would otherwise house a nail salon or an independent accountant. “When we have a facility that was built for the sole purpose of putting animals into loving homes - it’s awesome to think what we can do in that scenario,” Swanty says of the possibilities the new building will hold. They didn’t expect the merger to begin so soon but it seems an angel-hearted and anonymous donor gave them motivation to start by offering a $600,000 donation. The goal to finish construction was Spring of 2022 but there were some unforeseen delays. They’ve had to expand the septic system, add a fire access road, a sprinkler system, and expand the retention pond. However, Swanty mentioned that this stoppage is actually a blessing in disguise,”we’ve had more time to fundraise.” The initial cost of the project was $2 million but the goal post moved to $2.8 million. Although they have exceeded the initial goal, this extra year’s worth of time will help them reach the new one. As the sheltering operations move to the Taft Hill campus, their Mulberry location will continue to operate by housing their community pet programs. These programs are designed to help people keep their pets. Programs like the pet food pantry give support to people who need it, offering a three month supply of food to community members and if they need more after that period they have to show proof of need such as being on Medicaid or WIC. Animal Friends Alliance also has a veterinary clinic, offering low-cost care to those who need help. The community cat program, which is also run out of the Mulberry facility, helps to serve the population of stray and feral cats. Swanty says this usually starts with someone feeding a stray cat that wanders into

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their neighborhood. Before long, there are too many to handle. This is where Animal Friends Alliance steps in. Someone is sent out to assess the situation then humane traps are set to catch the felines. Adult cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and provided any necessary veterinary care. The unsocialized adults are usually put back where they were found as long as someone is there to feed them. The kittens and the friendly adults are put into the foster program so that they can find a loving home. Just last year Swanty said they helped over one thousand community cats, “its one of the many programs we’ve added over the years as we try to not treat the symptoms of the animal welfare issue in our nation but actually get to the roots of the problem.” Another initiative that serves the community cats is the Working Cat Program. Sometimes someone takes care of a colony of cats for a long time, but when they pass away what happens to the animals? Since most of these cats are not social and cannot be adopted into the life of a family pet they have the opportunity to earn their keep as a working cat! This usually means working in a barn, garden centers, workshops, or warehouses to help control rodent populations that may be detrimental to the business. This is not only beneficial to the cats but also avoids the use of harmful chemicals that can be toxic to children and other pets. Swanty says as the community cat programs continue to be successful bringing in kittens and friendly adult cats the need for more shelter space will increase, “this [building] will give us more space to comfortably house cats and increase the number of animals that we can save.” To help save those animals the organization needs support from the community. Not only through financial means but through volunteering, fostering, in kind donations, and being included in events like the non-profit night at Pour Brothers Tavern, or by simply spreading the word about them, “we don’t exist without the community’s support - period.” The new building is slated to open its doors by the end of October or early in November, so there is still time for the community to show their support. If you would like to find out more about Animal Friends Alliance you can visit their website at savinganimalstoday.org

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Laguna Beach

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Why This Quintessential California Colony Should Be Your Next Travel Destination!

There’s a reason people visit the southern California coastal city of Laguna Beach an average of five times in their lifetime. From its stunning ocean side bluffs overlooking 30 Pacific Ocean beaches and coves to its fusion of beautiful canyon wilderness with tranquil ocean life, fresh-ingredients cuisine and eclectic arts culture, Laguna Beach is a time-honored destination full of vibrant and invigorating seaside experiences. This month, our City Lifestyle community of luxury travel enthusiasts are thrilled to collaborate with Visit Laguna Beach to present a breathtaking view into this idyllic West Coast artist community. Plus, together, we have created an exclusive GIVEAWAY opportunity to win a 2-night trip for two. Get ready to experience the upscale and creative culture alongside the lively, yet quirky personality of Laguna Beach!

WIN a 2-night GETAWAY to Laguna Beach! City Lifestyle and Visit Laguna Beach are giving one lucky winner and a guest the chance to explore Laguna Beach, CA with the ultimate Southern California escape encompassing scenic canyon and seaside views, fresh chef-driven cuisine and local recreation. This giveaway closes on August 31, 2022. This trip must be taken by August 31, 2023. For a chance to win, follow @citylifestyle and @visitlaguna on Instagram and tag friends and family on the August 1st giveaway post for additional entries to win.

$2,300 LAGUNA BEACH GETAWAY FOR 2 INCLUDES: • • • • • •

2 nights at The Ranch at Laguna Beach Breakfast at Harvest Tickets to The Laguna Playhouse Guided Kayaking Tour with Laguna Ethos Tickets to Laguna Art Museum $200 Visa Gift Card for Dining T R AV E L J OU R N A L | TR AVE L

Scan the code to ENTER to WIN at @citylifestyle on Instagram!

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ARTICLE BY KERRY RILEY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN HANNON & TYLER WESTON

2021 winner Washburne

TOP DOGS THE FURRY CHARITY COMPETITION TO FIND A DOG THAT’S PAWS ABOVE THE REST

It’s hard to find a city that loves dogs, craft beer, and the outdoors more than Fort Collins. In fact, Top Dog itself was dreamt up one lazy afternoon, during one of Colorado’s unseasonably warm January days, on Odell Brewery’s back patio, watching two dogs play. From its conception in early 2021, to its official launch in September, Top Dog has been a community labor of love that highlights some of why Fort Collins is so great.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS TOP DOG? Top Dog is the search for 16 Dogs to compete in-the-fur at Odell’s Brewery, and ultimately, for one of the Top 16 to be crowned Fort Collins’ Top Dog!

O UR TOWN | L IFE + CU LTURE

FORT COLLINS TOP DOG

The winning dog’s image is then designed into a label of an Odell beer, using Odell’s unique art style. This year, we’re not only immortalizing the Top Dog on an Odell beer can, but Odell is also brewing a specialty beer honoring the winner too! In order to be selected for the Top 16, the pup’s profile must either be one of the top fifteen fundraisers over the summer or be chosen for our social media star spot! These Top 16 are selected from dogs all around Northern Colorado. If the dog and their human can be at Odell Brewery on September 25th, they can enter the contest. Profiles can be made and donations accepted up until midnight on August 31st. The top 16 went head-to-head in four rounds in 2021, with round one and round three being audience voting rounds. The rounds included the Mutt Strut: where all the dogs got to strut their stuff up on stage; The Boat Races: where the dogs had to wolf down treats as quickly as possible. Round 3 was Sinner and Saints - The dogs had to choose between their beloved owner calling to them, or the volunteer tempting them with the treat. The final round was a story-telling competition between the final two, to let the audience get to know the dogs more personally and the owner got to share something special about their pup. The Top Dog is then selected by our three celebrity judges. The team is especially excited because one of the confirmed celebrity judges is actress Daryl Hannah (from such films as Blade Runner, Kill Bill, Splash). While this year’s competition will be similar, expect variations on these games!

DID WE MENTION ALL THE MONEY GOES TO A GREAT CAUSE TOO? All the money raised goes towards the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center and their mission to rescue and rehabilitate local wildlife. There are always dogs at the breweries in Fort Collins. In fact most places in this great city love and welcome dogs. This competition celebrates that love in our community. Top Dog is the ultimate Fort Collins contest because it reflects what makes this city so great - our community, our love for wildlife and all living things, and our support of our local culture. Fort Collins Top Dog combines these three great loves of Fort Collins into one silly contest. For more information, please visit focotopdog.com

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