Pit bulls get a bad rap, and Laurie Yost is working to change that.
Yost, the owner of Playful Pups Retreat, 406 Hershey Road, Elizabethtown, is also the founder of Pitties.Love.Peace, a pit bull-focused rescue and foster program.
Playful Pups will host a Bully Bash Community Pawty on Saturday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to benefit the rescue.
"We'll have vendors inside and outside offering lots of different things," Yost said. "We'll have a food truck." The day will also feature face painting, a dunk tank, Hershey's whoopie pies and giveaway baskets. Adoptable dogs will also be on site.
"All of the money raised will benefit Pitties.Love.Peace," Yost said. "The money will go toward covering vet costs, because those can really add up."
Yost founded Playful Pups in 2010, followed by the pit bull rescue a year later.
"I've always been into helping rescue dogs," she stated. "I'm a big advocate of bully breeds. They get a bad rap. There is so much stigma associated with the breed because we see so many negative news stories about that. But they are amazing dogs. The good far outweighs the bad."
While Pitties.Love.Peace is a foster organization, Playful Pups provides day care and overnight boarding for dogs. Yost also has a location of Playful Pups on Milton Grove Road in Elizabethtown. "Starting Playful Pups really came out of me not finding a good option for overnight boarding that offered upscale care, enrichment, activities and fun for dogs," Yost recalled. "A dog resort is what people want. Everybody wants five-star care for their dog."
Yost, who owns several dogs, including a Great Dane and a cane corso, said she can't imagine her life without her furry family members. "I just love dogs," she said. "They give unconditional love and devotion, and you don't get that from humans. They love you no matter what. They don't care what you look like or if you're in a bad mood. They just love you."
The Bully Bash Community Pawty, which is open to any dog breeds and their owners, is the first major fundraiser for Pitties.Love.Peace, she noted.
"I'm really excited for it," she stated. "If you're looking to adopt an animal or if you just want to check out a fun, animal-centered day, you should come out. We'll have lots of animal-related vendors and lots of food, and who doesn't love food? It's going to be a fun, family-friendly day."
For more information on the Bully Bash Community Pawty, visit http://www.playfulpupsretreat.com or search for "Bully Bash Community Pawty" on Facebook.
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