By Rebecca Rider

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — It’s an unconventional Easter egg hunt. The brightly colored plastic eggs are scattered across a forest trail and stuffed with treats, just waiting to be sniffed out — perfect for the keen noses of dogs.

On Saturday, a crowd turned out, furry friends in tow, to hunt down Easter eggs and enjoy the warm spring day. Approximately 1,000 eggs were strewn around the 10-acre property for owners to spy and dogs to sniff out. Eggs contained dog treats, gift certificates and other small prizes.

It’s not the first year Faithful Friends Animal Sanctuary has hosted a “Sniff N’ Snag” Easter egg hunt for four-legged friends, but Saturday’s event was unique in other ways. According to Nancy Krapf, president of the board, the day also marked the sanctuary’s fifth anniversary.

“So it’s kind of a special day for us,” she said.

Faithful friends opened its 10.75-acre property off Grace Church Road in 2012. The organization rose out of a local grassroots group that sought to reduce the number of animals euthanized at local shelters. Faithful Friends is a no-kill shelter, and Krapf said that when the sanctuary takes in an animal, it has weight.

“When we make a commitment to a dog, it’s a lifetime commitment,” she said.

Dogs and cats that find a space at Faithful Friends will stay at the sanctuary until they find a permanent family, or until the end of their lives.

And not just anyone can adopt a pet from Faithful Friends. Those interested must fill out an application, and be willing to share vet records. Staff also try to match an animal’s personality with that of their potential new family.

The goal isn’t just to cycle pets out of the shelter, but to find them a permanent home.

“It’s more than a cute face,” Krapf said.

The shelter is a non-profit entity with only two paid staff members. Everything else, Krapf said, is run by a “healthy core of volunteers.” Everything is paid for by fundraisers that Faithful Friends runs throughout the year — fundraisers like Saturday’s Easter egg hunt.

“But we also like to try to provide some fun for dog owners and dogs,” Krapf said.

The amount raised by Saturday’s event was not available at the time of publication.

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.