Hundreds of people and their furry friends gathered at Midtown Crossing in Omaha Saturday for the first ever FURshion Week in Omaha and the country. The event included 25 vendors, live music, door prizes and of course, a fashion show just for dogs.
18 dogs took the stage dressed in outfits made by 7 local designers. The winning outfit was designed by Valerie St. Pierre Smith entitled, “William Ruffspeare,” worn by dog model Cooper. The lucky winner took home a cash prize of $100 as well as an original Jeff Koterba Omaha FURshion Week cartoon.
Mycity.dog (formally known as Omaha.dog) offers a comprehensive list of dog-friendly businesses in the Omaha metro area. SPN recently covered the company in March. Currently the team is in the process of bringing the platform to cities outside Omaha.
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Aside from being a fun community event, the proceeds from the event are going to a larger cause.
“All proceeds from the event are going directly back into the community to fund waste stations and to improve dog parks,” said Jeannie North, Co-founder of Mycity.dog.
North said things like better dog parks create a more attractive and engaging environment for residents in the community. She said having a more dog-friendly city also promotes a healthy and happier lifestyle.
When asked how the event was going to impact the future plans for the business, North explained that the event really helped humanize their brand and let them connect with community members on a different level.
“We hope it raises awareness around Omaha to be more dog-friendly,” said Leah Thrasher, Co-founder of Mycity.dog. “We also can use this as a model for events around the country, helping other cities become more dog-friendly.”
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Melanie Lucks is a communications intern for Silicon Prairie News and AIM Careerlink.