Get interactive at upcoming Pet Expo in PdC
Local pet owners and enthusiasts are invited to attend the fourth annual Pet Expo at Nelson True Value on Saturday, Feb. 6, co-sponsored by Nelson True Value, Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter, Tender Care Animal Hospital, Prairie Cinema, AmericInn Lodge, Crawford County Sheriff’s Department and the Courier Press will benefit Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter (RABAS).
The Pet Expo will start at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. and include a bake sale with delicious homemade treats (just in time for Valentine’s Day) and a food stand. An entire slate of pet-related activities will be featured.
Crawford County’s K9 unit, Deputy Joe Breeser and K9 Officer Breck, will be available during the entire program (pending any emergencies occurring). Deputy Breeser will talk about the different aspects of the work this team does as well as the training both he and Breck experienced. They will also demonstrate a drug search at 11 a.m.
Tender Care Animal Hospital staff will provide nail trims to well-behaved dogs for a donation to RABAS.
Crawford County Animal Control Officer Crisse Reynolds will micro-chip dogs for a very reasonable fee, with all proceeds going toward her “Don’t Litter” program. “Don’t Litter” provides spaying/neutering and vaccinations for feral, farm, stray and pet cats, at an affordable cost based on a sliding income scale. Reynolds will also answer questions about her duties as animal control officer. She will share stories of her successes in reuniting lost pets with their owners. According to Reynolds, if more pets were micro-chipped, her job would be much easier and her success rate even higher.
Crawford Area Shelter for Animals (CASA) will have information available about adoptable pets. Please go to their website (casa-rescue.com/application if interested in adding a friendly feline or canine to your family. An application can be completed on line.
There will be plenty of dog activities as well. A Parade of Rescue Dogs will take place at noon. Come and see what great pets rescue dogs can be. Nicki, a certified therapy dog, will be available for petting for the entire event.
Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter volunteers will be available for updates on the progress being made on their future animal shelter. At 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., watch an obedience demonstration by Gracey Skime and her dog Buddy as well as other local residents and their dogs. See what your dog is capable of with proper training. Both Gracey and Buddy were very successful in their first year as 4-H State Dog Show participants in 2015.
Pet Expo participants are welcome to ask Bev Pozega, local dog enthusiast and trainer, questions on dog behavior and training problems. Learn the correct way to put a training collar on a dog. Staff from Tender Care Animal Hospital will be there to answer pet health-related questions.
Kids, get your picture taken with Chance, RABAS’ large and furry mascot. The Crawford County 4-H Dog Project will have story boards on display. Crawford Dog Project members and Wonder Workers 4H Club will help kids “make and take” a dog tug.
Coloring contest posters, colored by Crawford County pre-K through fourth grade school children, will be on display. Nelson True Value staff will do the judging. The winners in each age category will be announced at 12:30 p.m. at the Pet Expo. First-place prize in each age group will be a large Pizza Hut pizza and a pair of Prairie Cinema passes delivered by Deputy Breeser and Breck. AmericInn has donated the second-place prize, a pool party for up to 15 people.
New this year will be a pet photo contest. Pictures of your pet should be 4”x6” in size. Contact information including pet’s name, photographer’s name, address and phone number must be listed on the back of the photo. Deadline for the Pet Photo Contest is Monday, Feb. 1 at the close of the business day. Pictures can be mailed or delivered to Nelson True Value, 125 N. Marquette Rd., Prairie du Chien. Voting for the contest winners will take place at the Pet Expo. The public is invited to select for their favorite pet photo using monetary votes. “Let your money do the talking,” with all proceeds from the pet photo contest going to Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter. Voting for the photo contest will conclude at noon. The top three photos “earning” the most money will be declared the winners and announced at 12:30. Prizes for the pet photo contest include: first prize, a one-night stay at AmericInn; second prize, a Nelson True Value $25 gift certificate; and third prize, two Prairie Cinema passes.
RABAS volunteers will also be selling raffle tickets for a quilt made by Judy Murphy. This beautiful Diamond Jubilee Bargello quilt is 100”x100” in size and will fit either a king- or queen-sized bed. The color scheme includes shades of blue, green and teal. Two matching pillow cases are also included with the quilt. Over 2,000 yards of thread were used in the making of the quilt along with 16 different fabrics. The drawing will be held on April 13 at RABAS’ annual Pasta for Pets at Huckleberry’s Restaurant.
As at all RABAS events, the donation jar will be out and Kwik Trip gift cards available for sale. The group makes 5 percent from the sale of each gift card, which can be used for gas or most in-store purchases.
For more information on the Pet Expo, contact Donna at Nelson True Value at 326-2491 or Bev at 326-2914.
