When Bambalam, Nee-Ha and Princess Tazer get out of the pool sopping wet at the end of the evening show, their main goal is to get dry fast so they can find a spot to curl up on the couch in the tight quarters of a traveling show.
ABOVE: Squeak, an Australian cattle dog, leaps high off the back of Kara Gilmore to catch a disc during The Marvelous Mutts performance Monday evening near the Lake Avenue gate. HOME PAGE SLIDESHOW PHOTO: Bambalam, a Labrador retriever, emerges from the diving pool dripping wet with his disc in mouth during The Marvelous Mutts performance Monday evening. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | REUBEN MEES)
The canine feats of prowess that make the Marvelous Mutts an entertaining show for children, families or any other dog lover aside, Kara Gilmore says she is proudest of the fact that all the dogs in the show are just high-energy pet dogs that get to have fun in the sun and then retire with their masters for the evening.
“This is a high-energy, action packed, family-friendly show,” Ms. Gilmore said of the act that she and Christina Curtis put on at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. daily at the Lake Avenue entrance.
“But what we’re really proudest of is that all the dogs in the show are adopted from shelters or rescue groups. If people like dogs, then they are going to like our show.”
The show involves the canine companions in three sets of tasks — catching flying discs in “big air” tricks, weaving through a miniature steeplechase course and leaping from a doggie diving dock.
They have a total of 14 dogs with them, about 12 of which are cycled into the shows and two of which are now retired from the show, Ms. Gilmore said.
Each show also features a post-event meet and greet with one of the dogs from the performance.
Although the show is based out of the Hudson Valley in New York, one of the dogs has a connection to West Central Ohio, Ms. Gilmore said. Squeak, a female Australian cattle dog who bounces nimbly off Ms. Gilmore’s shoulders and chest before snagging the discs out of the air, was adopted from a Clark County animal shelter in Springfield.