lilly: the beagle boss of outdoor retailer

We love dogs. The outdoor industry loves dogs. So, naturally, Outdoor Retailer loves dogs.

As we sat around the table in our office with one of our favorite fluffy friends, Scout, we wondered what it would be like to bring him along to Outdoor Retailer. Would we get more appointments? Would Scout sniff out the best swag? We knew if Scout were to pull it off, we should first ask advice from an Outdoor Retailer vet, Lilly. If you know Scott Yorko, you know he doesn’t go anywhere without his pup Lilly. Here’s what they had to share with us below.

If you’re headed to OR, make sure you follow us @verdebrandcomm and #DogsofOR on Twitter to meet the pups, learn what they love about OR and find out if they really look like their parents. We can’t wait to find out.

Q: We’ve heard you and Lilly are best buds. Can you tell us about her and how it all started?

A: I got Lilly in college for a girlfriend and ended up with the dog, which was really a stellar deal. She comes with me everywhere, be it a trade show or flight or a day in the backcountry. She’s been to 49 states and three countries.

Q: What does it take to get a pup into OR?

A: Like most places, I usually just walk into OR with her and she plays the part as if she’s supposed to be there, so it works out. I believe you can get a badge for your dog as well.

Q: Does she have a special show (hair)cut or outfit?

A: Lilly has never had a haircut before, let alone a special one for the show, but I usually find her covered in stickers at the end of each day. Buff tends to hook her up with a doggy buff each show.

Q: Do you think you get more appointments because of Lilly?

A: I usually leave Lilly at someone’s booth for most of the day. I’m told she attracts significantly more booth traffic and is responsible for at least a couple of sales orders every time. So at this point, there may be a waiting list for her services, but you could always just use someone else’s cute dog.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share about the dogs of OR?

A: I’ll have to check the records, but I think her birthday is later this week. She’ll be 11. For a long time, I wasn’t sure if I spelled her name with one L or two, but we’ve settled on two.