Emma's Story

Meet Emma. She is our inspiration behind Fat Dog Festival. Emma joined our family in January of 1999. We had just lost Fergie, our beloved 11-year-old Doberman Pinscher, to cancer. In trying to deal with the loss, my then 18-year-old daughter, Dana, wanted to adopt a dog from a shelter.

In a chance encounter with a newspaper delivery woman at a local 7-11 store, Dana learned of a Rottweiler mixed dog that was being kept in a shelter in North Carolina. Dana obtained the name and telephone number of the shelter and made a call. Within 24 hours, she and her dad were on their way to see if this was going to be our newest family member.

When Dana and her dad arrived at the shelter, the staff led the way to where Emma was being kept. Dana was saddened to see such a pitiful animal. She learned that Emma was picked up roaming the streets, half-starved and was soon to be put down. She was about two years old, weighed around sixty pounds and had recently given birth to puppies. She had heartworms and had been shot in the nose with a BB gun. Her ribs were showing and she was so weak she could barely stand. When the shelter staff asked what she thought, Dana turned to her dad and said, "But Dad, we can't leave her here."

And so Emma came to live with her new family for the next five years. She became very sick and passed away the week before Fat Dog Festival 2004. We will miss Emma but it is for her and all the other "Emmas" out there that we will continue to raise donations to help area animal shelters. Bring a bag of dog or cat food or make a donation at the door to help feed a starving animal who will one day become someone's family pet.