Woofstock 2025: Tail Wags & Good Vibes
Rescue Village’s 32nd award-winning dog festival, Woofstock, welcomed 10,000 attendees to a fun day for the animals! Not only was there a great turnout of people, but also 5,000 dogs accompanying their owners to participate in dog games, run the Swift Paws Lure Courses, and join in the legendary costume contest.
The day kicked off with the Woofstock Ramble parade–a longstanding tradition to celebrate Rescue Village’s community fundraisers who have raised $100 or more for RV animals. Alpha Dog, Finn, an English Golden Retriever, led the Ramble Parade accompanied by pet-parents, Linda and Richard Glickman, and Woofstock 2025’s top individual fundraiser, Delores Norsic. This year, 23 dedicated Ramblers and community members raised nearly $9,000 for all the animals at Rescue Village: dogs, cats, small animals, and barn animals, continuing a tradition more than 30 years old.
The morning festivities continued with a Blessing of the Animals by the Venerable Shih Yingfa. Afterwards, the crowd gathered for the ever-popular Costume Contest. Winners were chosen for originality and creativity and overall, Best in Show. The Woofstock Costume Contest grows each year as a fan-favorite – so start making your costume plans for next year because the competition is ruff!
Woofstock 2025 featured more new and exciting things for dogs and their people! Thanks to SwiftPaws, there were six Lure Courses for the dogs. There were also new Dog Games and Contests with prizes, like the most photogenic or the cutest tail. In-kinds sponsor Dog Gone It! returned this year with Dock Diving and brought Frisbee Try-Its and professional demonstrations for the first time! Fungility was provided in-kind sponsor Digging Dogs, offering dogs fun opportunities for agility, tricks, and challenges on the extensive course.
There was something for everyone, like the bands Steve Sapota and Scenic Route that appeared on the Main Stage, providing live music throughout the event. Attendees could also grab a bite from the 20 food trucks or shop from the 90 local vendors. Thirsty guests could enjoy a refreshing brew from the Four Paws Brewing Beer Garden while commiserating with fans during the Browns Watch Party. Nine rescue organizations brought animals for adoption to Rescue Row or provided information about their organization. Kids enjoyed face painting, balloon artists, and animal activities like making collars and toys at the Kids Activities tent.
Thanks to Woofstock’s 30 incredible sponsors, Rescue Village raised a record $141,000 in event sponsorship. This year’s returning Presenting Sponsor was Solon Manufacturing. Major sponsors like Archaeological Networks Inc., Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve, Embrace Pet Insurance, and SwiftPaws also made a big impact. So did CG Accounting, Map Construction, Onyx Creative, Parker Hannifin, the Young Team, and Wenk Family Charitable Foundation.
Map Construction, American Family Insurance, Campo Roofing, Great Lakes Insurance Pros, and Paul Davis were all first-time sponsors!
Woofstock 2025 raised more than $240,000 for homeless animals!
And get this — Cleveland Magazine has named it Northeast Ohio’s Award-Winning Fundraiser three years running. Not bad for little ol’ Rescue Village! With our incredible staff, volunteers, and community partners, we sure know how to throw one heck of a doggone good party for a great cause that helps all the animals at the humane society, even cats (shhh… don’t tell the dogs)!
To check out the fun, watch the short video of Woofstock 2025 visit Rescue Village’s SmugMug page for a lot of great photos that truly capture the good vibes of the day!
