More Than $6,000 for Animal Care League

Here's another notable statistic from I Do, Doggone It!: the event hitching 87 dog couples (at least for a few, tongue-in-cheek moments) raised more than $6,000 for The Animal Care League of Oak Park.

Now that's no joke!

Accompanying the post today is this shot of Helen Karakoudas, managing editor of Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest, and Mr. Big. He was one-half of the poster pups for the event, the other being Hudson.

Registrations Begin Flowing Into DTOP

Registration forms have begun flowing into the Downtown Oak Park office, and we will soon be sharing some anecdotes from those who have signed up their dogs to become part of Guinness World Record-attempting history.

A reminder on the event's location Saturday, November 8th (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with 1 p.m. bow-vows): in the heart of downtown Oak Park, on Marion Street just north of the Metra and "el" tracks. It's the stretch of roadway that was re-opened nearly a year ago, after many years as a pedestrian mall.

Wondering where the registration form may be? It's right here.

A Sign of the (Doggie Doo-Doo) Times

And you wonder why there's so much canine obesity in the world!

Oh, wait, I think "exercise" may well be a euphemism for "let your dog go poopie."

Anyway, this was a first--coming across a sign of this sort. Hey, has anyone ever seen a "Do Not Marry Off Your Dog to the German Shepherd Next Door" sign?

I thought not...let the match-making continue!

Guinness World Records: The Logo!

What's a Guinness World Record attempt without a logo?

Today, the fine folks at Guinness World Records furnished us with the logo you see here in this post. The big day is two months away--have you circled Saturday, Nov. 8th on your calendar?

As an additional point of reference, that date is roughly one week after Chicago celebrates its latest World Series triumph...we'll let your imagination run wild over whether we refer to the Cubs' breaking a 100-year dry spell or the White Sox re-emerging as champs after three years!

Rickshaw Rick's Gets Into Dog Wedding Act

Picture this:

Mr. Big and Hudson, the First Couple of I Do, Doggone It!, in a rickshaw, majestically entering the festivities on Saturday, Oct. 4, then being escorted out after the conjugal ceremony is completed.

In their wake, can't you just see the "Just Married" streamers and other accoutrements?

It could very well happen.

Rick Carter, the proprietor of Rickshaw Rick's Custom Cab Company has expressed interest in the idea. After all, his mission is "pedicabs for fun, profit and a Happy Planet." This mass dog wedding fits all of those bills--with the profit being funds raised for the American Care League.

With 57 days remaining before the big day, Downtown Oak Park officials are excited about the prospect of bringing together a variety of elements from throughout the community, especially businesses, in support of the event.

Got an idea of how you may want to get involved? Contact Matt Baron at Matt@InsideEdgePR.com or 708-860-1380.

(That's me, in a rickshaw, with my children Maggie Rose and Zachary on the Fourth of July 2006.)

IDDI Gets A New Website Name

For anyone tripping over their tongue in trying to recite this blog's URL, here's some happy news: just send folks to www.dogwedding.info and they'll come straight here!

Sixty-nine days and counting down to the culmination of I Do, Doggone It!