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We bought a FURminator deshedding tool last weekend and the handy little brush absolutely lives up to its reputation. My hubby used it on Dexter and I used it on Thai and it removed handfuls of hair that otherwise would be strewn over the carpet and embedded in the upholstery. Or on my black slacks.

And the best part is that they both loved it! For them it's one-on-one attention and a great scratching, which is all any pet wants from a human. Well, besides pepetually filled food and water bowls, of course.

The very nice folks at FURminator read the banter on this blog last week and were gracious enough to send me two more FURminators, one all-purpose model like the one I bought last weekend, and one specifically for kitties.

They also sent a bag of treats, a bottle of deshedding shampoo and conditioner, and a waterless spray deshedding shampoo for pets. All the products contain Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that help keep coats and skin healthy. A very nice package indeed.

And they will allow me to share these goodies with Happy Wag readers.

Post a comment about why you think your dog or cat would be happy if you brought home these products, or why you would be happier in your home without so much excess hair on the carpet and furniture.

The most creative comment from a dog lover, as judged by a panel of experts, will get the all-purpose model, the 'poo and 'dish, and the treats.

The most compelling story from a cat person, as judged by Thai's reaction when I read them to him, will get the kitty brush, the waterless shampoo, and a copy of the book "Two Cats and the Woman They Own or Lessons I Learned from My Cats" by Patti Davis.

So let the fur fly, people. Tell us your hairy stories. Contest ends August 10 at midnight.

(Photo from FURminator Web site)

Save the date for fourth annual Horse & Hound Wine festival in Bedford on July 12. The paw-friendly festival returns with plenty of events for pooches, wine and food for people, and a parade for horses.

A prior commitment keeps me from going this year, but we had a great time when we attended last summer. It was brutally hot that day, but the event coordinators made sure to have plenty of water and wet towels on hand for the dogs, and a picnic shelter provided some relief from the sun.

If you want to go:

Where: Johnson’s Orchard, 2122 Sheep Creek Road, Bedford
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 in advance for adults, kids and dogs; $15 per person at gate; children under 2 free
Contact: 586-3707 or go to peaksofotterwinery.com

Take your dirty dog to the Kirk Family YMCA in downtown Roanoke on Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and leave with the cleanest pooch on the planet for a low, low price while supporting a worthy cause.

The event is a fundraiser for the Roanoke Valley SPCA and is sponsored by radio station The Planet 101.5 FM.

Trained groomers will be on hand to wash and fluff your tiny Fido for $10. Big sweeties will cost an additional $5. All the proceeds go to the RVSPCA.

The radio station will be broadcasting live from the dog wash and will give away t-shirts and other prizes. Expect a guest appearance by Mugsy, mascot of the Salem Avalanche, and McGruff the Crime-Fighting Dog.

No word if those dogs will be bathed at the event.

The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Central Virginia will hold its first Fun Match on Saturday, July 19, at the Star City Canine Training Club building in Salem.

The event will feature an all-breed rally novice show.

There will be show judging for all Bernese mountain dogs (Berners to those who love them) with classes for dogs over 12 months old, including a spay/neuter class and a costume class, and an exhibition-only class for champions. There will also be three conformation classes for puppies.

For more information about the event and the club, click here.

Get your groove on at Woofstock this weekend. The event is scheduled for Saturday, rain date is Sunday.

The fun starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. in downtown Roanoke's Elmwood Park.

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For vino fans, here is a paw-friendly wine tasting.

Pack a picnic and your pooch for a tour of the Lexington Valley Vineyard on the first Friday of each month, beginning June 6 and running through October. Snack baskets are available for purchase if your don't want to bring your own lunch; the wine tasting, of course, is for two leggers only. The vineyard will provide water and biscuits for the pooches.

Admission is free and the tasting begins at 4 p.m. Lexington Valley Vineyard is located at 80 Norton Way, Rockbridge Baths.

Call 462-2974 or go to www.lexingtonvalleyvineyard.com for more information.

The next fundraiser for the Roanoke Dog Park is a weekend-long event.

Fork in the Alley restaurant will donate 15 percent of all food and beverage sales this weekend, from Friday night through Sunday night, to the cause. There will also be a dog wash at the South Roanoke Fire Station across the street from the restaurant from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For a $10 donation to the dog park, your pooch will be made squeaky clean.

And for those of us who are indecisive, you can have your food and wash your dog, too. For an additional $10 donation, a dog walker will parade your freshly-washed pooch around the neighborhood for an hour while you enjoy lunch at the Fork.

According to the press release from NewVaConnects, the professional group in charge of raising the funds for the dog park, almost $7,000 has been donated since the campaign was launched on March 11 to build the fence and add other amenities to the off-leash area at Fishburn Park. The goal is to raise $30,000 by June 30.

Fork in the Alley is located at 2123 Crystal Spring Avenue in Roanoke. The fire station is across the street at 2328 Crystal Springs Avenue.

Donations for the dog park can also be made at its Web site.

The Pooch Parade for the Franklin County Humane Society is this Saturday at the Franklin County Family YMCA Fitness Trail in Rocky Mount.

Registration starts at 9 a.m.; the walk begins at 10 a.m. and prizes will be awarded at 11 a.m.

Enjoy a Saturday morning walk with your dog and help raise money for the animals at the Humane Society at the same time. Walkers may pick up sponsor sheets at the Humane Society’s Planned Pethood Clinic.

There will also be an agility demonstration by Jim and Cindy Rose of Agile Paws Dog Training and Reiki demonstrations by Diane Novak.

Information may also be found online at www.plannedpethoodrockymount.com or call (540)489-3491.

All proceeds from the Pooch Parade will benefit the Franklin County Humane Society.

Get the leash ready and take your pooch on a nice stroll for a good cause for the Roanoke Arthritis Walk on Saturday, May 10.

The annual fundraiser for the National Arthritis Foundation features one- or three-mile courses and starts at Wiley Drive near the site of the former Victory Stadium. Dog parents can bring their leashed, well-behaved pooches along for the walk.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and opening ceremonies start at 8 a.m.

For more information on arthritis, to volunteer or to build an Arthritis Walk team, call Sara Johnston at 1-800-456-4687 ext. 306 or visit the Web site at www.arthritis.org.

Trio Bistro-Bar-Bottle restaurant, 315 Market Street in downtown Roanoke, will host two upcoming Cocktails for a Cause events for the benefit of critters in the Valley. The first event on April 30 will help build a fence for the off-leash dog park. The second event on May 7 benefits the RVSPCA.

Twenty percent of all sales between 5 and 8 p.m. will be donated to the causes.

As I have blogged before, NewVaConnects is the force behind fencing in the dog park. Recognizing that it is completely insane to let your pooch run off-leash in the unfenced Fishburn Park, which is borderd by busy Brambleton Avenue, the group is trying to raise $30,000 to build a fence and add other amenities to the park. The group will announce the winner of the dog park logo contest at the Cocktails for a Cause event.