PHILADELPHIA – Rosalyn “Rose” Fennell, Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park, was recognized for 2021 with the Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s Dogs’ Best Friend Award.
Fennell, who is committed to national efforts to get dogs (and their people) safely to American national parks, will be honored on Saturday, November 20, during the National Dog Show ceremonies at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks.
As part of a new partnership promoting the health and wellbeing of dogs in Montgomery County, Fennell is a huge supporter of the park’s “BARK Ranger” program, a national initiative that teaches dog owners and their dogs park-friendly best practices. Several members of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team became BARK rangers this spring as a result of training at Valley Forge National Historical Park.
In Fennell’s current role as Superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park, she is responsible for all aspects of park activities, maintenance and improvement, as well as planning the 250th anniversary of the George Washington Camp, which is slated for 2027-2028. Fennell is also responsible for the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Birdsboro, PA and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, which runs from Providence, RI to Yorktown, VA.
Fennell’s personal assistant on this task is Lincoln, a two-year-old rescued Dutchman Schipperke. Lincoln hails from the Midwest, where he was raised by Omaha’s Hearts, Hands and Paws Rescue. Together, Rose and Lincoln try to embody the principles of the BARK Ranger program.
Tickets to the dog show this Saturday and Sunday are $ 16 for vaccinated adults and can be purchased online at www.nds.nationaldogshow.com. Tickets will also be available at the box office.
In conjunction with recommendations from national, state, and local officials, the National Dog Show and Kennel Club of Philadelphia require proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination upon entering the building. Nobody under the age of 12 will be admitted. There are three ways to provide proof of vaccination at the door: CLEAR APP Health Pass, Excelsior Pass or presentation of the CDC Card plus photo ID. A picture of the CDC card on the smartphone plus photo ID is acceptable.
The Kennel Club of Philadelphia created The Dogs’ Best Friend Award to inspire and motivate others to contribute to animal welfare in their community and to protect the dogs in our area, whose service and companionship is a vital and enriching part of American life are.
Past winners of the award are; Dr. Cindy Otto, founder of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center; Former Philadelphia Phillies second player Chase Utley and wife Jen for starting the Utley Foundation; former CBS3 meteorologist, animal lover, and television personality Carol Erickson; Marian Marchese, the founder of New Leash on Life USA, who brings endangered dogs to Philadelphia jails to be cared for by inmates preparing for release; Morris Animal Rescue of Philadelphia, America’s oldest such facility; the Martin & Toni Sosnoff Foundation, which paid medical bills for search and rescue dogs that worked on September 11; and John DeBella, the beloved Philadelphia morning radio personality for nearly four decades.
