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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I
WHEREAS, the Fredericksburg Dog Mart, an annual gathering heralded as the oldest dog event in America, has charmed families and dog-lovers for more than three centuries; and
WHEREAS, the origins of the Fredericksburg Dog Mart date to 1698, when colonial settlers in the area that would become Fredericksburg met with local Native Americans to exchange English hunting dogs for furs and produce, an event that would occur annually until the start of the Revolutionary War; and
WHEREAS, in 1927, the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce revived the Fredericksburg Dog Mart, celebrating the region’s rich history while providing local hunters with an incomparable opportunity to buy and sell hunting dogs before the start of hunting season; and
WHEREAS, after a brief hiatus during World War II, in 1948, the Fredericksburg Dog Mart was brought under the auspices of the Fredericksburg-Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, which has managed the event ever since; and
WHEREAS, over the years, the Fredericksburg Dog Mart has been featured in several leading national publications and broadcasts, including Time magazine, National Geographic magazine, and Pathé newsreel; and
WHEREAS, long held at the Matthew Fontaine Maury School stadium in Fredericksburg, since the 1970s the Fredericksburg Dog Mart has been hosted at the headquarters of the Fredericksburg-Rappahannock Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America in Spotsylvania County; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the focus of the Fredericksburg Dog Mart has shifted from the buying and selling of hunting dogs to providing family-friendly entertainment that celebrates man’s best friend, including rescue dog and police K-9 unit demonstrations, a dog judging contest, and more; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Fredericksburg Dog Mart for the distinction of being regarded as the oldest dog event in the United States of America; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Darrell Shultz, manager of the Fredericksburg Dog Mart, as an expression of the General Assembly’s heartfelt admiration for the event’s cherished place in the history and culture of the Commonwealth.