You’ll want to tag your friends (and your pooch) for this one! The dogs of San Diego are takin’ it to the streets for the 8th Annual Doggie Street Festival. It’s an event you simply must mark your calendar for. The festivities kick off on Saturday, August 27 at 9 a.m. and go until 3 p.m. at the NTC Park, 2455 Cushing Road in San Diego. This adopt-a-thon will feature adorable dogs (and cats) that are sniffing out fur-ever homes. If you are looking to add four paws and a warm nose to your family, it’s a great time to do so. There will be some awesome rescue organizations bringing their hounds in search of homes like Chihuahua Rescue, Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, Four Paws Coonhound and Friends Rescue, Holly’s Garden, Golden Retrievers Club San Diego, Maltese and More Rescue, Open Arms Rescue, Passion for Pitties, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, San Diego Spaniel Rescue, Second Chance Dog Rescue and The Rescued Dog.
If you have a furry friend already, bring him along to enjoy the fun. It will be a tail-wagging time with a kid’s art area, pet products, treats for both dogs and their parents, music and vet-tip speakers. Special guest speaker VCA Animal Specialty Group Registered Veterinary Technician Lori Goff will share her knowledge and experiences along with Mike Myers, VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center liaison, who will take the stage as well. Dog health and nutritional experts, veterinarians, trainers and other pet professionals will be on site to provide helpful information. There will also be education available on spay and neuter options and other hot topics.
Dog People Are Cool® will be in attendance for the second year in a row so come visit us. We will be selling our new tank tops and v-necks as well as our classic logo tees. Be sure to sign up for our raffle and win a free t-shirt or hat! Lots of other vendors will be there too. SNAP Spay Neuter Action Project will be set up to tell you all about their Spaybus and what they are doing within the community to make responsible pet ownership affordable and convenient. A lounge area will be furnished by Balance for those finding they need a little…balance. Media partners include: Pet Lounge TV, A Pet’s Life Magazine and Orange County Pet Companion Magazine.
At the auction, you will have a chance to bid on some dog-gone great items. Auction participants are: Benebone, BiteSanDiego.com, Coastal Pet Products, Coronado Brewing Company, Courtyard by Marriott Liberty Station, Fur Buddy Bliss, Healing Hands Canine Massage, Leash Your Fitness, Mission Federal Credit Union, Nine-Ten Restaurant, Petrageous Designs, Pet Lifestyle and You, Inc., Pet Lovers Publications, Response Products, San Diego Automotive Museum, Sand Diego Botanic Gardens, Sand Diego Maritime Museum, San Diego Natural History Museum, Soho Museum, Wheel Fun Rentals and Yoga One. If you ask me, that’s quite a line up for an awesome action.
Of course, it goes without saying that putting together such a noble, non-profit event takes a ton of time and money. Among those sponsoring the event are: VCA Animal Hospitals, Doozydog Club, Citydog! Club, Unleashed by Petco, Best Friends Pet Care, Pet Pure, Blue Buffalo, Camp Run-a-Mutt, Pet Lounge TV and tons more. The story of the festival all began back with the economic crunch of 2008 and 2009 when San Diego based independent filmmaker, Jude Artenstein, realized how many people were losing their homes due to the failing economy. This also meant that their pets were also homeless or abandoned. As Jude reflected on the situation at hand, she found a soft spot in her heart. Having recently suffered a hardship of her own, an injury that put her out of commission for a while, she had pulled through with help with lots of love and the constant companionship of her devoted dog, a golden retriever named Scout.In a horrible mishap, Jude had fallen off of a ladder and was unable to walk on her own. It took a grueling nine months to be able to get around again. During this time, Scout served as both her therapist and cheerleader. “He licked my tears away, slept devotedly beside me each night, tucked in close when anxiety delivered severe episodes, and wagged with joy each morning when I awoke,” said Jude. “He never left any room I was in until the day (nine months later) that I walked securely on my own two feet out of the house – on that joyful day he ran in circles around me celebrating my newfound freedom.” Jude had always hoped to find a way to repay him and so she set about to exactly that. The embarkment was what she coined her “civic gratitude to Scout for his unconditional loyalty and friendship.”
And so the Doggie Street Festival was born. Each year, hundreds of hounds and countless cats find loving homes. Scout is no longer with us, but his legacy lives on as the event unleashes love and hope to homeless hounds.The event has been a huge success ever since its debut in 2008. An outpouring of dogs and dog fans have celebrated the canine and cat cause. Most importantly though, through the years, thousands of dogs and cats have found forever homes. San Diego is only one of the many locations this celebration of canines takes place. Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Austin and Denver are just a few of the other location where the event is hosted. Find out how to bring this fabulous festival to your city at DoggieStreetFestival.org. “Together, beside our invaluable sponsors, vendors and media partners we have made a tangible difference,” Jude recently blogged. “I can’t say it’s been easy, but I can say that it has been inspiring to experience results as we humans take action to help solve the tragedy that is pet homelessness.”
If you are looking to adopt a dog or just looking for something fun for you and your pooch to do, The Doggie Street Festival is, for sure, the right road to be on.
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