While the weekend weather was dark and gloomy, pet lovers didn't let that put a wet blanket over their fun.

The inaugural Humane Society Pups in the Park event was held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Rock Creek Park.

A collaborative effort of several local organizations, proceeds from the event will benefit the local animal shelter.

While the rain drove off the crowds early on in the day, according to Carolyn Bowen, president of the Dawson County Humane Society, that didn't stop the fun at the park.

"People and their dogs waited in the pavilion for the rain to pass, so we feel like we would have had a huge turnout if the weather had been better," she said.

Dog owners that stuck out the rain agreed with Bowen.

"Despite the rain, we saw the flyers for this and had to come out," said Michele Fadley, a Dawsonville dog owner. "We're going to hang out until this passes."

Unfortunately, the early-morning rain also drove off some of the vendors.

"We had vendors here that, while a lot of them left because of the rain, we still had 17 show up," she said. "We had a lot of them that hung in here and stayed with it. I still feel wonderful about this event."

Bowen said that the event next year will be a definite smash hit.

"I think next year will be awesome," she said. "If we had this many people and this much interest, in the rain, and the first time, then next time will be amazing."

And in the end, the event's purpose was a success, because people came out to support the humane society.

"I'm here supporting [the humane society] and bringing the pups," said Julia Swift, who brought her husband and three dogs. "We're glad to be here. What's a little rain? It's a fun day and I hope it brings in a lot of funds for the shelter."