NATCHEZ — Even though Piper is afraid of thunder, she did not let the storm rolling into Natchez Saturday around noon ruin her routine.

Piper, who was adopted from a shelter six years ago by Abagail and Phillip Washington, was performing her tricks routine when it started to thunder at the 24th annual Bark in the Park at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.  The event is a benefit for the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.

While Piper was unable to nail her play dead routine, she performed sit, shake, bow and roll over for her grandmother, Penny McCary, which was enough to earn her first place.

“She’ll do play dead if she’s on the carpet — it’ll crack you up,” McCary said. “We wanted to come to Bark in the Park because it’s a lot of fun and a great way to donate to the humane society.”

Clarion Ledger editorial cartoonist and author Marshall Ramsey drove down from Jackson to sign books and donate the proceeds to the humane society.

“I was down a few weeks ago at the Chamber of Commerce, and I looked around and was like, ‘I know half of the people in this room,’” Ramsey said. “I found out the humane society needed some funds and said I’d be there as soon as you need me.”

Ramsey had his book, “Banjo’s Dream,” a children’s book about his border terrier who died a few years ago, but before passing taught his owner how to dream. Banjo was a rescue dog and Ramsey said he encouraged people to rescue.

“For Banjo, he had a sense of gratitude in his heart,” Ramsey said. “We were his third owners and he thought, ‘I have it pretty good.’”

Bark in the Park was a good event, Ramsey said.

“It has been a lot of fun,” he said. “The dogs are cute, the kids are having a good time and both the people and the dogs are getting along.”

Wendel Melton with Southside Market was present representing the Markets and announced an approximate $3,300 donation to the humane society.

“I’ve been involved since 2011,” he said. “I love animals — I have four pets myself. It is a great event.”

Melton said he also had 50 bags of dog food to drop off at the shelter later.

At the end of the event, Dixie, a 6-year-old Australian Shepherd, ended up being named Miss NACHS.

“It is awesome,” owner Charlotte Buckles said. “We got her when she was two or three months old at the shelter. She was the cutest puppy there.”

Other winners were:

-Cutest Puppy:  Delilah, owned by Jessica Sanders;

-Best Smile: Sweet Pea, owned by Margaret Price;

-Best Tail Wag: Rusty, owned by Bo and Jewel;

-Most Beautiful: first place Snowflake, owned by Barbara Rogers, second place Molly, owned by Jessica Sanders, third place Dixie, owned by Mason Thorpe;

-Most Handsome: first place Harley, owned by Shelby Ballard, second place Walter, owned by Leigh Wolfe, third place Gumbeau, owned by Susan Gardner;

-Best Owner Lookalike:  first place Beau, owned by Amy and Ben Burke; second place Molly, owned by Colin Sanders and Lawson Jones, third place Kenzie, owned by Deanna Bowser;

-Best Dressed: first place Elvis, owned by Harley Metcalf, second place Bella, owned by Allison Chauvin, third place Gypsy, owned by Hunter Taylor;

-Best Singer: Ike, owned by Ben Burke;

-Best Trick: first place Piper, owned by Penny McCary, second place Tootsie, owned by Amy DeWitt, third place Love Bud, owned by Rhonda Binns;

-Mr. NACHS: Marty, owned by Shiloh Angles;

-Miss NACHS: Dixie, owned by Charlotte Buckles.