Charlotte, NC—The dogs in the Westerly Hill Neighborhood Association are still taking applications for its dog choir through September 1.
Applicants are not required to have prior experience, but must be able to demonstrate their ability during an interview.
Established in 1961, the choir is composed of volunteer dogs in the Westerly Hills Neighborhood who wish to, on any occasion and for any reason, spring into spontaneous barking, howling, and yelping together across the entire neighborhood.
Their ranks have in the past have included such greats as Bella Johnson, Rufus Brown, and Fido Kepley. Otis Perches, the current choir director, is proud of that tradition.
“We’re the finest dog choir in the state, no doubt about it,” Perches told a reporter while taking breaks to lick himself. “And every dog that joins has the potential to go on to be one of those great howlers like you hear about in the movies.”
Perches also had a message to dog owners regarding the recent trend in some neighborhoods of keeping their dogs indoors at all times.
“Let me address this problem, and I know it may not be the popular opinion, but dogs like myself need to be able to communicate with those in the next yard. It might just be to bark at the neighbor through the fence or cheer on another dog as he chases the mailman away, but it’s an essential part of being a dog. And the unity a good dog choir brings to a neighborhood is undeniable.”
Perches says there are still two slots available, and they plan to have their first recital in mid-October, likely in the middle of the night.
