K9 Wine & Dine – A Night at the Oscars

K9 Wine & Dine – A Night at the Oscars

Whistler Question | Brandon Barret Reports on the event.

Let’s face it, most dogs have atrocious table manners.

They never wait to their turn, constantly get fur in your cabernet and have yet to establish the difference between salad and dessert forks.

Nevertheless, Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) have invited the community’s canine contingent, along with their owners, to eat, drink and be hairy at the 10th annual K9 Wine and Dine and Charity Auction this Saturday (Sept. 29) at the Hilton.

The popular event, with 125 people and 60 dogs expected to attend, will feature a sumptuous three-course meal for the tail-waggers, courtesy of the cooks at Moguls Coffee House and Gone Bakery. It all starts with the aptly named yappetizers, moving on to homemade meatloaf smothered in gravy (that is hilariously being called “pinot growlio”),with meaty pupcakes for dessert.

When the homo sapien attendees do finally get the chance to dine, they will be served up a gourmet buffet prepared by Whistler Hilton’s head chef, that will include a West Coast seafood bake, prosciutto-wrapped chicken with roasted apples, and a roasted herb baron of beef in horseradish jus.

If you’re worried about your dog’s poor etiquette embarrassing you in front of Whistler high society, WAG’s trained volunteers can keep them company or take them to the hotel’s courtyard for a jaunt.

After dinner, there will be a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction that’s sure to satisfy all guests, whether bipedal or not. Some of the items available to bid on include sled dog tours, ziplining, skydiving and canine behavioural classes, all supplied by local Whistler businesses.

Professional photographer Gabi Moeller will be there to roll out the red carpet and shoot all of the guests in their Sunday best. People and their pup pals are encouraged to dress up at home or choose from the Hollywood-themed wardrobe and accessories that will be on hand.

“It’s pretty high-class,” said Kozak. “We have a lot of the animals come dressed up in pearls and ties. It’s quite an event.”

Proceeds from the $55 price tag for humans and $20 for dogs will go to WAG and be divided between the organization’s critical care fund, which Kozak said has been depleted in recent months because of the high number of animals that have required veterinary services, the spay and neuter fund and WAG’s general operations.

Kozak thinks the event has been such a hit in years past because so many people own WAG pets and the community, unsurprisingly, has a great love of animals.

There’s still time to work on Fido’s manners before the event, which runs Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hilton Whistler

“Whistler has an extremely strong pet community,” she said. “The canine population and the acceptance of the canine here is amazing. There are not many places that would host this type of event.”
“It’s probably the first time that the dogs ever get to eat first, before the humans,” said Kate Kozak, WAG’s director of development and community initiatives, who admitted that people have been asking her about the event since she started at WAG.

The popular event, with 125 people and 60 dogs expected to attend, will feature a sumptuous three-course meal for the tail-waggers, courtesy of the cooks at Moguls Coffee House and Gone Bakery. It all starts with the aptly named yappetizers, moving on to homemade meatloaf smothered in gravy (that is hilariously being called “pinot growlio”),with meaty pupcakes for dessert.

“It’s probably the first time that the dogs ever get to eat first, before the humans,” said Kate Kozak, WAG’s director of development and community initiatives, who admitted that people have been asking her about the event since she started at WAG.

When the homo sapien attendees do finally get the chance to dine, they will be served up a gourmet buffet prepared by Whistler Hilton’s head chef, that will include a West Coast seafood bake, prosciutto-wrapped chicken with roasted apples, and a roasted herb baron of beef in horseradish jus.

If you’re worried about your dog’s poor etiquette embarrassing you in front of Whistler high society, WAG’s trained volunteers can keep them company or take them to the hotel’s courtyard for a jaunt.

After dinner, there will be a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction that’s sure to satisfy all guests, whether bipedal or not. Some of the items available to bid on include sled dog tours, ziplining, skydiving and canine behavioural classes, all supplied by local Whistler businesses.

Professional photographer Gabi Moeller will be there to roll out the red carpet and shoot all of the guests in their Sunday best. People and their pup pals are encouraged to dress up at home or choose from the Hollywood-themed wardrobe and accessories that will be on hand.

“It’s pretty high-class,” said Kozak. “We have a lot of the animals come dressed up in pearls and ties. It’s quite an event.”

Proceeds from the $55 price tag for humans and $20 for dogs will go to WAG and be divided between the organization’s critical care fund, which Kozak said has been depleted in recent months because of the high number of animals that have required veterinary services, the spay and neuter fund and WAG’s general operations.

Kozak thinks the event has been such a hit in years past because so many people own WAG pets and the community, unsurprisingly, has a great love of animals.
“Whistler has an extremely strong pet community,” she said. “The canine population and the acceptance of the canine here is amazing. There are not many places that would host this type of event.”

There’s still time to work on Fido’s manners before the event, which runs Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hilton Whistler.