By Paula Weinman
This weekend, the Allen County Shelter for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will welcome thousands of people-along with dozens of cats and dogs-to the third annual Northern Indiana Pet Expo. The Expo will take place at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet representatives from over 20 different animal rescue and shelter centers, participate in games and attend educational seminars.
Indiana Artist Terry Ratliff will be painting caricatures of attending pets, and hit performance team The Canine Stars will be putting on two of their popular traveling shows, in which several enthusiastic dogs perform entertaining, high-energy stunts.
As director of the Expo, Jessica Henry hopes that the event will be both fun and educational. "The Allen County Shelter's main mission is to prevent the cruel treatment of animals," she said. One of the most important ways the shelter pursues that mission is by promoting adoption.
"In the rescue community, we like to say, 'Adopt, don't shop,' because there are so many animals in shelters and in foster care who need healthy, loving homes," Henry said. "I'm excited for everything, but I'm most excited for the potential for so many homeless animals to find their forever homes."
Expo attendees will have the opportunity to talk with several different shelters and rescue missions about adoption. Many of the shelters are breed-specific, including GRAACE (a golden retriever rescue) and Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society.
One of the other organizations to be featured is the U.S. War Dogs Association, an organization that seeks to educate the public about the canine members of the U.S. Military.
John Meeks, the director of the local chapter of this organization, believes the Expo will be an ideal opportunity for people to learn about military dogs.
"The more people I can make contact with, the more I can educate them about these dogs, the better," he said. "Honoring these dogs is truly important. These dogs love their jobs, do their jobs, and they ask for nothing in return except the love and care of their handler."
The Exposition will also offer educational seminars, many of them focused on educating pet owners about how to better care for their pets. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about pet message, canine body language and selecting the right kind of pet food.
All of these seminars will help owners to nurture the valuable relationships between pet and pet owner. After all, pet ownership is anything but a one-sided deal, said Henry.
"The healthier the relationship between pet owner and pet," Henry said, "the more enriching that relationship will be for everyone."
Admission for the Expo is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages six and older. Children under the age of five will be admitted for free.
To learn more, pet owners interested in bringing their pets to the event should visit the Northern Indiana Pet Exposition website for a release form.
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