Wet noses and floppy ears filled the Capitol grounds Sunday afternoon to kick off the Central Dakota Humane Society's 11th annual Shaggy Shuffle.

The event, which serves as the society's primary fundraiser, brought out more than 200 dog owners for a cool Sunday afternoon stroll with their pets. It also transformed the Capitol lawn into a veritable doggy paradise, with plenty of beefy treats and four-legged companions for chasing, licking, sniffing and greeting.

The event culminated in a walk, or "shuffle," that gave pet owners the option of traveling 1/8 mile, 2 miles, or 3.5 miles.

"It looks like a record turnout this year," said Shaggy Shuffle co-chair Rita O'Neill as she surveyed the crowd.

O'Neill said this year's event brought in about $18,000 for the humane society. The money comes from dog walking participants who donate between $25 and $1,000.

O'Neill said the money pays for everything from vet bills to staff salaries.

"We do this for the animals at the shelter because every penny counts," she said.

One such animal is Eliot, a four-year old black lab mix who walked around Sunday's event wearing an orange sign saying "Adopt me."

Nicole Martineson, an animal caretaker at the humane society who served as Eliot's handler for the day, said he's becoming a very friendly and confident dog after arriving at the shelter shy and reserved.

"I'm hoping to get him out here to socialize a bit," she said, as other dogs, big and small, passed by.

One was Maka, a Springer Spaniel mix who was adopted from the Humane Society. An exceedingly friendly white dog with black spots and floppy ears, Maka was attending her second Shaggy Shuffle.

Owner Ron Stenberg, of Bismarck, said he and his dog would be taking the full 3.5 mile trail because "it's a very nice day for a walk."

In addition to the dogs, Sunday's event also attracted a variety of vendors selling everything from organic soap - for earth-friendly four-legged scrubbing - to green beef tripe snacks, which are made of cow stomach.

"It's good for working and hunting dogs," said vendor Nicole DeSautel, of Healthy Pet Center. "It's got lots of enzymes and nutrients in it."

Across the way, Chris Remme and Dane Poling promoted their year-old business, Tidy Pets, which dubs itself a pet waste removal service.

For as little as $8 per month, Tidy Pets will clean dog droppings from your yard. Or, as the company's brochure advertised: "We doo the dirty work so you don't have to."

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@bismarcktribune.com.)