Normally, sniffing another’s rear end is considered inappropriate in all but the most crude of social circles.

But on Saturday, sniffs, growls, barks and slobber were perfectly acceptable as the pooch paws hit the turf at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.

It was the 16th annual Bark in the Park. The event is a fundraiser for the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.

Bark in the Park is one of Natchez’s most fun, family events, yet its purpose is a serious, somber one.

The NACHS operates the county’s only humane shelter and we wish it wasn’t necessary.

We wish each and every dog and cat in the area had a good home. We wish each one could prance around and strut their stuff at events such as the Bark in the Park.

But unfortunately, the shelter’s need is real.

Each year, hundreds of animals must be euthanized at the shelter.

The non-profit does its best to avoid having to resort to euthanizing animals, but given the humane society’s limited resources, a number of unwanted animals must be killed.

While events such as Bark in the Park raise funds by celebrating the fun side of pet ownership, the solution to the problem of unwanted pets isn’t more money; it’s more brains.

Quite simply, pet owners need to take responsibility for their own pets and avoid allowing their animals to have unwanted offspring.

All pets deserve at least one day a year in which they can cut loose and have fun with other animals, not spending the last days of their lives locked up in a cage.