Inaugural Dog Show Expo free to public
By Brittany Jackson
Carrboro Commons Staff Writer
There is something for every four-legged and two-legged creature – dogs and dog lovers, that is – at the first-ever Dog Show Expo of Carrboro at the Hank Anderson Park dog park.
Photo by Brittany Jackson
On Saturday, Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15 vendors from around the Carrboro area will line up booths along the outside of the dog park fence to provide free exhibits, educational presentations and concessions to the public, as well as the chance to ask veterinarians questions.
Vendors for the expo, which started out years ago as a children’s dog show, will include Orange County Animal Shelter, Bayou Rescue and Blue Dog Creature Coaching, and Lucky, the Durham Bulls mascot, will make an appearance.
“I think it’s fantastic to live in an area that’s so pet and dog-friendly,” said Jenn Merritt, owner of Blue Dog Creature Coaching, a dog training organization based out of Efland. “It’s a great opportunity for those that are in a pet business to show people what our services are and what we offer.”
Dog Show Expo organizers Wendell Rogers and Robert Douglass, both of the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department, recognized the dog owners in Carrboro could appreciate this type of informational event focused on helping them be better pet owners.
“We have quite a few dog owners in Carrboro – responsible dog owners,” said Rogers, recreation supervisor for CRPD.
Those responsible dog owners will find new ways to enact the task of pet caretaking. Representatives from Four Paws Animal Clinic of Carrboro will be at the expo taking questions and offering to microchip dogs.
Bayou Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on disaster preparedness for pets, will be giving away free emergency kits and taking pictures of people with their dogs. Bayou Rescue President Amber Alsobrooks said it is important for pet owners to be prepared in case of any type of emergency or disaster.
“We’ll be giving away free pet alert stickers for people to put on windows or doors,” Alsobrooks said. “We want pet owners everywhere to be more prepared for disaster, whether that be a single family house fire or larger-scale disaster.”
Carrboro and its surrounding communities has a throng of dog owners and their pets who regularly visit the Anderson dog park throughout the week. Rogers said the CRPD is thankful to see it being used by the public, but would like to see more people take advantage of the free service available to them.
“The more people, the better,” said Douglass, facility supervisor with CRPD. “We want to get pet owners and dogs to come out and utilize this dog park service. We wanted to make sure they could get information freely while recognizing the opportunities that the town of Carrboro provides for them.
Orange County Animal Shelter’s booth will be manned by volunteers from Helping Paws, a UNC-Chapel Hill student organization. The organization’s mission, as listed on its website, involves raising awareness on animal rights issues and fundraising for animal shelters.
“We want to give people awareness about the shelter and animal services. We go because it’s a community effort and we like to show our support for those events,” said Sarah Sallin, program/volunteer coordinator of Orange County Animal Shelter. “It also gives some of our animals the opportunity to play outside in a controlled environment.”
The expo is not only open to current dog owners and their dogs, but those who are looking to purchase or adopt are welcome as well. The Orange County Animal Shelter will have a handful of animals from the shelter up for adoption.
“We will bring animals that are up for adoption – and all sorts of brochures with information, as well as literature that’s pertinent to the time of year,” Sallin said. “If people request information that we don’t have with us, we take their name and number and get back to them.”
“We’re giving local businesses the opportunity to showcase what they do,” Rogers said. “We really have a responsibility to the community to try to make sure as much as possible to support local businesses. These services are offered right here in the community, so you don’t have to drive far.”
Dog owners new to the Carrboro area will have the chance to meet other dog owners in the community while their dogs play in the safe environment of the dog park.
“Since we’re new to the area, it will be good to know what’s going on in the doggie world,” said Lindsey Moore, who moved to Carrboro from Rhode Island about a month ago. She owns Leo, a 2-year-old border collie. “It will be neat to be able to ask questions and get advice, and see what’s offered around Carrboro for dogs.”
