Athens, Georgia was the first city in Georgia to tap into the national craze first begun by "Cow Parade" in Chicago. The decision was made early in 2003 that bulldogs--obviously, for our local, famed University of Georgia mascot--would be the palette and regionally and nationally acclaimed local artists would provide the wildly diverse themes and artistry. Unlike some cities where the installations are short-lived, the sponsors decided that the Athens Dawgs would become permanent, public art and structured the project around making that contribution to transform the Classic City into an outdoor museum. Over forty of our beloved pooches are featured in the pages of Let the Dawgs Out, the perfect canine catalog for the Dawgs that have attracted fans nationally and internationally, while supporting local charity through the funds from Dawg sponsorships. Readers of this keepsake book will be reminded of the generous civic spirit that brought this project into being.