By Staff
ME AND MY MUTTS Donna Dies, co-sponsor of the First Annual Lauderdale County Mutt Show and Flea Market, plays with her blonde Labrador mix, Faith, and her Rottweiler mix, Sheba. Proceeds from the Mutt Show will benefit the Lauderdale County Humane Society. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Sheila Blackmon/The Meridian Star
May 18, 2001
Get ready for two days of flea market goodies, fur and fun at the First Annual Lauderdale County Mutt Show and Flea Market beginning today at 11 a.m.
The event is sponsored by Donna Dies and Stephanie Gainer and will be held on private property on Stennis Drive, just before Naval Air Station Meridian's main gate. Display tables and a canopy tent will be set up.
People wanting to reserve space or a display table can do so for $5. Tables will also be available both days for those who do not reserve one in advance. The entry fee for mutts is also $5. Fees will benefit the Lauderdale County Humane Society.
Dies said her money and Gainer's money from sales will also go to the Humane Society, but other flea market vendors can choose to keep or donate their profits.
Dies and Gainer joined the Humane Society at the organization's last regular meeting. Dies moved to Lauderdale County from Chesapeake, Va. Her husband is a master chief at the Naval Training Technology Center at NAS, where Gainer is the executive officer.
She said she sees many dead and stray dogs along the roads near her home in the Bonita Lakes area.
She said has adopted two stray dogs since moving here a blond Labrador mix named Faith and a Rottweiler mix named Sheba.
Dies said she will enter Sheba with her three chins and "black mask like Zorro" in the mutt competition, but Faith can't go.
First-place ribbons will be awarded in categories such as worst behavior, most kisses, fattest, longest tail, most annoying bark, biggest lap dog, biggest ears and most-mixed mutt. The mutt with the worst hard luck story will win a trophy.
The flea market runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today and from 7 a.m.-noon Saturday. The mutt show will be held from noon-2 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, call Dies at 693-9324 or Stephanie Gainer at 679-1193.
Sheila Blackmon is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3275, or e-mail her at sblackmon@themeridianstar.com.