Canines have tail-wagging day at Woofstock

Paying homage to its roots, Lambs Farm went to the dogs Saturday with its second annual Woofstock, which drew scores of dog lovers and their four-legged friends.

The 72-acre campus in Green Oaks that serves more than 250 adults with developmental disabilities, started as a small pet shop in Chicago.

"We hold this to raise awareness of who we are and what we do," said Jackie Rachev, communication director at Lambs. "We wanted to do something to give back to the community."

Exhibitors turned the area in front of the pet store into a spread of doggie delight, from gourmet treats to boarding options.

Demonstrations by the Lake County K9 unit, Cross Roads Search and Rescue and Agility Junkies highlighted canine intelligence. Meanwhile, dogs and their owners showed off their design sense in the Canine Couture Fashion Show.

Sean and Jean Kelly of Antioch and Thor and Sierra, Siberian huskies purchased at the pet store, were enjoying the day.

"Thor and Sierra are having a great time," Sean Kelly said. "It's like coming home."

HeartBandits American Eskimo Dog Rescue exhibited for the first time. Adoption coordinator Linda Johnson started the organization 10 years ago and now places about 200 dogs per year.

"I adopted an American Eskimo dog 10 years ago and wanted to help out at a shelter. There wasn't one devoted only to American Eskimos, so I started one," she said. "It's very rewarding."

Families petted six search-and-rescue dogs from Mundelein-based Cross Roads Search and Rescue of Illinois. The group also showed how the dogs were trained and how the dogs treat people.

"These are not police dogs; our dogs are part of a network of professional search and rescue volunteers," said spokeswoman Peggy Buchman.

Ashley and Jose Munoz of Palatine manned a craft table where children could decorate a picture frame or make a dog bone placemat.

"We like dogs, so we thought it would be fun to volunteer," Jose Munoz said.

For some, life has taken them full circle. Thirty years ago, Tammy Lundgren's parents bought her a parrot at the Lambs Farm pet store. On Saturday she was handing out healthy doggie treats at Woofstock to promote Daisy's Delights.

"My business is named for my dog Daisy, a Lab mix," the Buffalo Grove resident said. "These are healthy, natural cookies."

Lundgren recently contracted with the Lambs Farm bakery to bake her products. "Everybody here is great to work with," she said.ˆ