norTHEAST PET 2024
northeast pet and handler
Since 2016, the Northeast Pet and Handler contest has showcased members of the pup and petplay community, awarding the annual titles of Northeast Pet and Northeast Handler and providing structural and financial support for titleholders’ goals as community leaders.
Dagger is proud to serve as Northeast Pet 2024. She is the first female holder of either title, and ran with a focus on under-served groups within the petplay community.
Dagger serves alongside Northeast Handler 2024 SAZ, the first openly trans handler. You can follow SAZ’s work here.
goals
Dagger performing with Dio as battling Poképups during NEPAH 2024. (Video below.)
Visit every state in the northeast
As a representative of the entire region, Dagger aims to attend at least one community event—and listen to the goals and experiences of local pets—in every Northeast state during her title year. So far, she has staffed events in NY, NJ, CT, and VT and attended events in MA and RI.
improve access and inclusion for under-served groups
Dagger has often been the only woman in the room, including at every phase of judging for NEPAH 2024. She aims to raise the standard for inclusivity in petplay events and organizations and to improve access for community members who are female, trans, POC, disabled, and/or low income.
All of Dagger’s programming is gender inclusive; free, low cost, or sliding scale; and transparent about physical accessibility.
Dagger and Hudson Valley Kennel Club are working with educators and community members to develop best practices for accessible, inclusive events. They are currently creating a guide for organizers who strive to do the same.
Dagger and HVKC are especially grateful to Pup Star Orion for his expertise on antiracism and disability access, and recommend him as a resource to all organizers looking to improve their policies.
support community outside major cities
Dagger is the first NEPAH titleholder not from NYC or Boston. While she regularly attends events in major cities, her primary focus is on programming for folks without access to major hubs, including online and in-person events.
So far, she has staffed events in Troy, Poughkeepsie, New Paltz, Beacon, Kingston, Red Hook, Highland, Poughquag, Pawling, and Woodstock, NY; Burlington, VT; New Haven, CT; and Asbury and River Edge, NJ.
She is especially proud to have mentored the organizers of Maple State Kennel Club, who now offer regular programming in Vermont.
create a petplay and kink group directory
Many pets and kinksters want community but don’t know where to find it. Dagger is working on a centralized directory of petplay and kink groups and resources in the Northeast region. Check out the directory HERE.
nepah 2024 performance
be the next northeast pet
I’m proud of the work I’ve done, and I can’t wait to see who will take it to the next level. Want to serve your community? Eager to turn your programming ideas into reality? Let’s talk.