“The only other dog fairs are in Pierce County, and we thought there was enough interest to bring something here,” clinic assistant director Taran Johnson said.
Johnson said the clinic hopes the Pet Fair will be the first of an annual event for dogs and other pet owners.
The fair featured exhibition space for local pet-welfare groups Concern for Animals and the Yelm Animal Alliance. Displays included demonstrations by the K-9 units of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, obedience training and canines who visit nursing homes.
The fair was free, although Johnson said T-shirt sales would benefit the clinic’s wildlife-rehabilitation program, in which injured wild animals are nursed to health in the hospital.
Sue Aschenbrenner of the Yelm Animal Alliance, which cares for and finds appropriate adoptive families for pets rescued from Yelm Animal Services, said several families submitted applications to offer foster homes for pets. She said one pit bull last year was in foster care for six months while the group tried to find an appropriate adoptive family.
“We do attend these kinds of events to spread the word,” she said. “You always need more foster families, because not everyone can be a foster family.”
Janice Mitchell, a member of the Nisqually Kennel Club and Top Dog Agility, said she and her husband, Steve, wanted to spread the word about how dogs can benefit from agility and obedience training and participating in the shows and trials that occur in the region.
“A lot of times, dogs left at home during the day act up; they eat up the furniture and chew up items at home,” she said. “They just need a job. They need to get out and do things. We want people to do things with their dogs, not just keep them at home to get anxious during the day.”
Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445
