More than 100 canines of virtually every breed, size and description descended on Veterans Memorial Park Sunday for Mount Airy’s version of a Dog Day Afternoon.

Billed as a “Doggie Easter Egg Hunt,” the first-time fund-raiser offered the animals, and their owners, a chance for a variety of prizes and to just enjoy a day outside with others.

In order to capture the goodies, they had to compete not on a field of dreams, but a field filled with 2,000 brightly colored plastic eggs stuffed with dog biscuits.

The event was climaxed by the horde of dogs, all on leashes, being turned loose on the field, with those eggs not sniffed out by the canines being scooped up by their handlers in a matter of minutes.

For about 40 lucky people, the finding of special eggs meant winning an Easter basket filled with pet treats, toys and coupons. Some 500 of the eggs contained $5-off coupons for pet products and grooming services.

There was no grand-prize winner in the sense of a “champion sniffer” among the 110 dogs present. However, the competitive aspects of Sunday’s event — sponsored by two local businesses, Big Lots and Pet Sense — seemed to take a back seat to a goal of simply getting animals and people together.

“It’s really for dog lovers,” said organizer Debra Holt of Pinnacle. “It’s for dog people to meet other people. And, dogs can get acquainted with other dogs.”

The boxers, bulldogs, collies, Pekingese, poodles, German shepherds and many other types brought in for the occasion seemed to do just that. The humans were enjoying themselves, too, after coming from Surry and Stokes counties and other parts of North Carolina, as well as Virginia.

Gary Brazzell, one of several dog owners there from Galax, Va., said he decided to attend the event because “it was an opportunity for the dogs to have fun and to do something new.” Brazzell said it was the first time he had been to a doggie Easter egg hunt.

Holt, a canine enthusiast who moved to this area from New Jersey 15 years ago, said the decision was made to hold the hunt because no such event is available for pet owners in this area. The Pinnacle resident added that she had enjoyed similar gatherings in the past, but this required traveling to locations such as Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Martinsville, Va., in order to do so.

Along with the fun offered by the egg hunt, Sunday’s gathering had an educational purpose, with owners learning about the importance of spaying and neutering and other programs and posing questions to veterinarians there.

All proceeds from the scheduled two-hour event — reaped from a $5 admission fee for each dog, along with concession sales and a 50-50 raffle — will benefit the Mayberry 4 Paws Spay and Neuter Program. About $600 was raised.

Holt said the “Easter” fund-raiser was scheduled two weeks before Easter Sunday, so it would not interfere with Palm Sunday activities next weekend or church and family gatherings on the holiday itself.

The organizer was pleased with the large attendance and said the doggie egg hunt will be held again next near.

Holt, the owner of three boxers — one rescued from the pound the day it was to be put down — agreed that a love of canines was all it took to assemble people from all walks of life for a common goal.

“They are the mostloyal animals you could ever have,” she said.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.