This city has taught me many things, including how to love dogs. Many years ago, when I was a kid in a faraway place, dogs just snarled and barked at me from behind fences and I was terrified of them. Since I was just a kid I didn’t understand that this said less about the nature of dogs than it said about the people I lived around.

My first apartment in LA came with a free dog, a pit bull mix who had been rescued by a former tenant and then taken in by the girls I was living with. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog to help me get over my fear and together we walked, we ran and we played with other dogs until I was a dog person. When one of the girls moved and took the dog with her I was heartbroken.

A few years later I got married and in the deal I got a dog; another pit bull, rescued and adopted by my wife after it had been dumped, while very pregnant, on the streets of Riverside.

Needless to say I’m a big believer in animal rescue today I went down to The Bill Foundation Dog Adoption Fair; my wife has been helping them find homes for dogs so I wanted to help out too.

More on dogs and the Bill Foundation after the jump including wiener dog puppies.

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So, you taught her how to sit pretty, speak, and shake. Now what do you do with your well-mannered mutt? Talent competition, obviously! Non-profit dog rescue group Life4Paws is hosting their first annual “Spring Follies” event on Saturday, April 19, and if you register by the 10th, you can enter your prancing pup in a dog talent competition. Hosted in Van Nuys, the “fun-filled musical, masquerade extravaganza” will also include “a costume parade, dancing, face painting and kid friendly activities, flyball demonstrations, food, vendors, prizes, information booths and much more.” Competition winners will receive prizes, but all proceeds from the event will be split between Life4Paws and the Daphneyland Sanctuary, an Acton-based Basset rescue.

Hilarious pic from Itchmo.com