Area shelter dogs take notice, Sadie Tanksley is coming back for more.

The schnauzer-terrier mix will return to defend her Miss Natchez-Adams County Humane Society title at the 24th annual Bark in the Park, one of the NACHS’s biggest fundraisers.

This year’s event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 17 at the Grand Village of Natchez Indians.

Joining the event will be Sadie’s brother Scooter who hopes to take the Mr. NACHS crown this year.

“There is no pressure on Scooter this year,” the dogs’ owner Deanne Tanksley said with a laugh.

Tanksley is the organizer of this year’s event and a NACHS board member.

Tanksley and her husband adopted Sadie and Scooter in 2007 from the NACHS shelter. She has taken them to the event every year since.

The Mr. NACHS and Miss NACHS contest is always competitive. Only dogs that have been adopted from the NACHS animal shelter are eligible to compete for the titles.

Tanksley said she is always delighted in the number of shelter dogs that come out to the event and compete for the crowns.

“Bark in the Park helps us highlight dogs who have been adopted that now have good homes,” Tanksley said. “We show people that every dog is a good dog, no matter where they come from.”

The Mr. and Miss NACHS contests are just two of the many contests in which local dogs can compete. Other categories include:

• Cutest puppy (has to be less than 6 months old)

• Most handsome male

• Most beautiful female

• Best owner look-alike

• Most talented

• Best dressed

• Best tail wag

“We always have a good crowd that comes out for the contests,” Tanksley said.

Other activities include raffles, concessions and T-shirt sales.

“Some of the NACHS volunteers will also bring out some of the dogs from the shelter ready for adopting,” Tanksley said.

Tickets are $5 for anyone over the age of 5 and $1 for children under 5.

The cost to enter dogs in a contest is $2 per contest, per dog, Tanksley said.

Proceeds from the event go to help keep the doors open at the shelter, feed the pets and help pay for medical care.

The event also helps bring exposure to places like the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Tanksley said.

“I didn’t know about the Grand Village until I came to Bark in the Park for the first time,” Tanksley said. “It is a nice opportunity to get out and a nice kick-off into fall.”

Tanksley said Southside Market will also be selling steak dinners from 3 to 7 p.m., Sept. 15 in front of the store on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive. Proceeds from the sale will also go to NACHS, Tanksley said.