Recently in America's Family Pet Expo Category
- California Spay and Neuter License Plate signups. These specialized plates aren't available yet -- they have about half of the 7,000+ pre-orders they need to get the state to issue them -- but its designed to bring in funds to combat the pet overpopulation. You can order them online at www.petloversplate.org or order by mail or fax. Call 800-390-1541 for information.
- Pet foods galore. I was struck by all the competition in the pet food industry this year. I suppose I'd noticed that before, but today I marveled at all the new, high-end foods that were coming out for our animals. Holistic is big, something my vet has been practicing for years, long before it was trendy. (By the way, it's always a good idea also to check out the foods you feed your dogs with your veterinarian and/or on sites like Dog Food Advisor; the new-fangled names and very cool packaging designs can be so alluring, but always base your feeding choice on what's best for the health-lifestyle-life stage of your particular cat or dog). A woman at one booth where they were selling human-grade dog treats told me some people actually began nibbling on them and bought bags -- not for their dogs, but for themselves. Go figure.
- South Bay/Harbor Area rescue and pet organizations. There were some locals there, including I Love Dogs from Torrance, which offers lots of supplements and vitamins to keep your dogs in tip-top shape; Animals Rule, the dog rescue based in San Pedro; and the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals in Hermosa Beach (the folks who helped me adopt Annie Oakley, my cat). I also ran into my friend Suzanne from San Pedro who launched Border Collies in Need a few years back (the rescue that brought me both Cowboy and Tess, best and sweetest dogs ever).
- STUFF. A lot of it. There were lots of pet beds, including a pet "bunk bed" (how cute is that?) by Arm's Reach; new gadgets to help you keep your pets -- and your house -- free of unwanted hair. There were collars and leashes and grooming brushes and treats and toys; and booths for every dog breed imaginable (and some I'd never heard of, like the Shiloh shepherd). And booths for all kinds of other pets/animals, including wolves, rats, horses, ferrets and pot-bellied pigs.
- America's Family Pet Expo starts today and runs through Sunday (4/15-17) at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Among the local rescue groups that will have booths are Animals Rule (San Pedro) and the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals (Hermosa Beach). Look for them and stop to say hi. Tickets are $12 general admission.
- A Wilmington church, In His Power Christian Center, will sponsor a community "Pack Walk" from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (4/16) to raise awareness for spaying or neutering your pets. Walkers meet at the church, 602 Broad Ave., and will walk to Pacific Coast Highway and Avalon Boulevard. So leash up your dog(s) and join them to "walk for a cause."
- A pet adoption fair and community barbecue will be presented from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (4/15) at the Silverado Senior Living facility (for Alzheimer's patients), 514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach. There also will be information about the facility's pet therapy program.
- And for those of you who have followed the saga of Sweet William, the gentle, one-eyed pit bull who found happiness with a loving Torrance family, you can stop by to offer your moral support and encouragement from 1-3 p.m. Saturday (1/16) at the Petco store in the Crossroads shopping center (at Crenshaw and Lomita boulevards in Torrance). Sweet William has been undergoing cancer treatments and would love to receive some pats on the head and hugs. His family would appreciate it as well, and it would give them a chance to meet those of you have been following the story and rooting for Sweet William.
And don't forget all the regular pet adoptions this weekend sponsored by our South Bay and Harbor Area rescue groups. Most of the local pet stores usually feature weekend adoptions by these hard-working nonprofits.
So enjoy the weekend! And email me your photos if you get to any of these events, we'd be glad to post them on the blog next week.
Costa Mesa.Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The expo is a big draw every year for animal lovers (leave your pets at home, though) with lots of entertainment, demonstrations, shopping and adoptions.
Many of our local rescue groups in the South Bay and Harbor Area will be participating, so be sure to look them up if you attend. Altogether, the expo this year has donated 134 booth spaces to nonprofit rescue organizations. Since 1996, more than 6,400 animal adoptions have found new homes through the expo. Last year's total, 668, broke a record for the number of animals placed for one year.
Two local groups that I know are participating are the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals, a cat rescue based in Hermosa Beach; and Animals Rule, a dog rescue based in San Pedro.
New this year will be Forever Wild, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates captive-bred exotic animals. "Whether an animal was left in a foreclosed home, rejected by the animal entertainment industry, confiscated from Fish & Game because of its dangerous nature or unable to adapt to the domestic environment when taken home to be a pet, these exotic animals have been rescued and rehabilitated and are now free to enjoy the stable environment the Forever Wild sanctuary provides."
Also appearing will be "The Birdman of Las Vegas" Joe Krathwohl, featured on Animal Planet, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. and other national television programs.
Tickets are $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors 60 and older. Children 6-12 are admitted for $6 and children 5 and younger are free. Active military members with ID also are admitted free. Parking is $5.
There is a $2 discount on the admission if you order tickets online through the event's website.
The expo is sponsored by the World Pet Association.
The 21st annual America's Family Pet Expo, held earlier this month in Costa Mesa, drew a crowd of more than 37,000 people and set a new record for the number of animals adopted into new homes, it was reported today:
The show featured more than 1,000 animals, shopping, pet experts and entertainment ... Throughout the three-day event, America's Family Pet Expo was responsible for the adoption of 668 animals from local animal shelters, which broke the show's previous adoption record of 560 animals. Adoption numbers inclulded 538 dogs, 105 cats, one rooster, 21 rats, one mouse and two rabbits placed into new homes.
Among the more popular booths was one for the Long Beach volunteer organization BARK (Beach Animals Reading With Kids), a group that has noticed an increase in volunteers and website visits -- www.ReadingDog.org -- after the past couple of expos.
With the America's Family Pet Expo coming up this weekend (Friday through Saturday in Costa Mesa at the Orange County fairgrounds), I thought it would be a good time to ask: What pet products have you found most helpful through the years?
Do you have a favorite grooming tool or product? Or a toy or bed that's been your pet's favorite? How about supplements that have helped your dog or cat (or other critter)?
Foods?
Coolest dog tags? Collars and leashes? (Martingale, choke, leather, hemp?)
(Thanks to our friends at the Dog Blog in Alaska for this post idea.)
It's that time again. One of the largest pet vendor events will be presented this weekend (April 16-18) at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.
If you've never been to America's Family Pet Expo -- and you love pets -- it's worth your while. But be prepared: There are more demonstrations, equine events, shows, and booths than you'll probably be able to get to in a single day.
There are rescue groups; demonstrations from Splash dogs to K-9 units; educational seminars; a cat show; free samples; and hundreds of new products to check out.
Among this year's is the Wisdom Panel Do-it-Yourself Doggie DNA Test; handmade and eco-friendly collars and accessories by Daisy Couture; and the Drinkwell 360 Fountain for pets (shown below):
Hours for the expo are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday (April 16); 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday (April 17); and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (April 18).
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (those 60 and older), $6 for children 6-12 and free for children 5 and under.
You can get $2 off the admission price at Ticketmaster.
No pets are allowed at the expo (aside from those participating in the event).
But just think of how happy they'll be when you come home with a bag full of goodies for them.
A couple of things caught my attention at this year's America's Family Pet Expo. Among the new products being promoted were a new Web site, similar to WebMD, that offers pet owners a way to check out symptoms and other pet health issues.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.