The third annual Barktoberfest on Oct. 11 at Junto Winery brought together animal lovers, volunteers, community members and more than 20 dogs to raise money for Blue River Pet Rescue.
Attendees brought their dogs in all kinds of costumes and treated them to an afternoon of fun events to meet new doggy friends. While people bribed their dogs with treats to pose at the booth and others wandered around the event showing off their various costumes, other dogs competed in a pup cup shuffle.
Blue River Pet Rescue opened in 2012 as a foster-based program without a physical location. Fundraising completed the building on the south side of Seward in 2019. In 2019, with fundraising, a permanent location on the south side of Seward was built.
As adoption rates continue to rise each year, organizers said Blue River has the capacity to help in other places.
Cody Brown, Blue River’s director, said the rescue has been able to reach states such as Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
“A lot of these places that have these huge populations of dogs are being dumped out in the countryside,” Brown said. “And we’re able to help out a few at a time, bringing some dogs up and finding them homes.”
Brown said that 2026 is turning out to be a record-breaking year for the organization, with nearly 200 adoptions so far.
Kris Beckler-Kocian volunteers as a foster parent for the dogs that don’t handle the shelter well. Her philosophy of love, patience and kindness helps support dogs who may have had a rough past.
“I just genuinely love dogs, and I generally feel bad for them because they’ve been through enough and I want to make sure that they know that I understand,” she said.
Beckler-Kocian began fostering two and a half years ago, but volunteered at the rescue before she could foster dogs. She said how important rescues are not only to the animals but to the people they impact.
“Rescue brings people together,” Beckler-Kocian said. “When it comes to rescuing dogs, everybody wants to pull together and help them.”
