161 Shelter Pets Find Homes
at 11th Annual Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair

Valencia, CA - They came from all over Los Angeles, dozens of homeless dogs and cats seeking a family of their own. One hundred and sixty one pets found just that during the 11th Annual Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair at Newhall's Hart Park on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Lance Hunter, the manager of Baldwin Park Shelter, one of six L.A. County shelters that attended the fair, said all 30 dogs they had brought that morning were in homes by the end of the day.

"Going back to the shelter with an empty truck is awesome. It means more than words can say to the staff and volunteers," Hunter said with a smile.

The fair, which is hosted every year by the all-volunteer board of directors of the non-profit Bow-Wows & Meows, Inc, was able to offer low $30 adoption fees thanks to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Found Animals offered a two-for-one cat special of $30, which resulted in every cat being adopted at the fair.

Those numbers thrilled Yvonne Allbee, founder of Bow-Wows & Meows.

"It's our mission to show everyone how amazing shelter pets can be and that adoption is the only humane option when it comes to adding a pet to your family," she said. "To have the community respond in such a positive way is very gratifying."

The sunshine of the Indian Summer Sunday brought out thousands of attendees, both two-and four-legged, to the free fair. This was a boost for adoptions, according to Hunter.

"Many people don't like going to the shelter, so the park setting at Bow-Wows & Meows was really cool. People can bring their dogs and we can show how our dogs get along with others," he said. "It's a great way to do meet and greets."

In addition to adoptions, vendors such as TAGS Vaccine Clinic provided complimentary rabies vaccinations while AngelDogs Foundation micro-chipped 175 dogs and cats for free.

"Having your pet micro-chipped is one of the best ways to give them a chance to get home safely. The chip comes with a collar tag, and the finder can call and get owner information. Most veterinary offices and shelters will scan for microchips at no charge, to make it possible to return the dog or cat to their people right away," said AngelDogs founder Lisa Tipton. "Even though we all think that 'Fluffy won't get lost', it can happen to the best of pet owners."
Entertainment was provided by Ventura County K9 Search and Rescue, which put on two demos during the five-hour fair. Pit bull educator Lori Weise and her Canine Good Citizen Clancy showed the crowd just how wonderful the often-maligned breed could be and the popular Fun Dog Show kept guests smiling through such categories as Mystery Mutt and Owner/Pet Lookalike.

"Besides adopting out shelter pets, our mission at Bow-Wows & Meows is to celebrate pets and encourage animal awareness. The fair allows us to do that every year and we're so grateful to our vendors and everyone who participates," Allbee said. "We couldn't do this without the shelters and the many, many volunteers who sacrifice their weekend in order to help these animals."

Debbie Rosado, a cat foster/volunteer for the Castaic Animal Shelter, was particularly proud of her shelter's feline display. Cats of all ages hung around in hammocks or interacted with guests through the bars of colorful, decorative cages.

"We have a great presentation and amazing volunteers who go out of their way," Rosado said. "I'm just thrilled that everyone got into good homes today. It makes all the hard work worth it."

For more information on the Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair, visit www.bowwowsandmeows.org.