Paws, Claws, & Smalls Resource Fair for Pets- A Success!

On March 8th, we held our first official Paws, Claws, & Smalls Resource Fair for Pets at our Valerie Friedman Program Center in Manchester, Connecticut. The two-hour event brought in more than 100 attendees and was filled with educational presentations, community resources and programs, animals friends, DIY pet enrichment toy stations, book giveaways, pet pantry donations, and delicious free vegan cupcakes!

We enrolled the help of some furry friends to promote education on animal care for a variety of pets, filling our office with animals! We had adoptable rabbits, Nimbus and Willow, from our Sanctuary and adoptable Bella from House Rabbit Connection. Adoptable Sanctuary guests, guinea pigs Chestnut and Charlotte, enjoyed some free roam time in another room while our ferret guests, Raphael and Gabriel, took over the Helpline Office.

The rest of our Program Center was filled with local organizations providing resources, giveaways, and education for pet parents, a book giveaway, and a DIY enrichment toy station that included a “Make Your Own Rope Toy” instructions and material.

• Connecticut for Animals provided information on their animal welfare projects throughout the state
• Hockanum Valley Community Council (HVCC)/Vernon Pet Pantry provided information on their community pet pantry and accepted pet food donations.
• Pet Loss Support Group with Andrea Seader; pet loss bereavement counseling and therapy.
• Happy Cat Hotel set up a display to show the benefits of all natural pine litter, demonstrated the sifting litterboxes used in their hotel, and gave information on their East Granby and Windsor hotel and spa.
• Tails of Joy was there with therapy dog Sarah.
• Our Companions provided information on our many programs such as Trap-Neuter-Return Community Cat programs, dog training classes, community outreach, vet assistance programs, and information on our adoption programs.
• Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) provided reading sessions with therapy dog Amani and gave information on their programs for children, schools, and pet guardians who might be interested in having their dog become a R.E.A.D. dog.
• Charlie’s Dog Bakery had a dog biscuit decorating station and gave information on their safe, all natural products.

We also had four amazing presentations throughout the event.

• Connecticut For Animals Education Fund Info Session – Connecticut for Animals: President and CEO Jim Lombello gave information on the non-profit organization, their work in animal welfare and protection for both wild and domestic animals, and ways for the public to get involved in animal rights issues.
• Intro to Positive Reinforcement Training – Canine Behavioral Blueprints: Canine Behavioral Blueprints’ Dr. Ally Salzar demonstrated positive reinforcement training with her dog, Astra, while discussing science-backed training methods and the benefits of using positive reinforcement with your dog.
• Casual Cat Training – Our Companions: Our Companions’ feline Sanctuary staff members, Tammy and Miles, gave a presentation on cat behavior and training methods to help with cat enrichment, but also practical applications like nail trimming and cat carrier training.
• Lost Pet Prevention – Manchester Animal Control: Officer Elease McConnell discussed her professional experience with missing pets, how lost pet cases are handled within animal control, what proper identification your pet should have, and how you can ensure you pet is quickly returned back home.

The event was busy from start to finish! Everyone walked away with new knowledge on pet guardianship, pet care, pet and community resources, and new connections within the animal welfare industry. We want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended the event and to the organizations and volunteers who collaborated with us to make this event such a huge success! We can’t wait to see you all next year!

If you attended this event, please provide your feedback in our post-event survey!