By Cinema Latte
Just a reminder to all of you with pets or who know people with pets…..it’s a free event and a lot of vendors will be giving out free samples of products or offering free or discounted services for the event. Feel free to pass this around to anyone that you think may want to check this event out.
AUSTIN EVENT… AUSTIN PET EXPO
LOCATION: Palmer Events Center — 900 Barton Springs Rd
DATE: Saturday, August 3rd
TIME: 10 AM to 6 PM
EVENT COST: FREE!!!!
PARKING: Garage is $7 for most events with some “special event” parking rate of $10 when posted. The last Mighty Texas Dog Walk back in March was free to park there. However, You should come prepared to spend $10 per car to park in the garage to be safe. There are some places along Barton Springs Road and surrounding neighborhoods that parking on the street or in a lot is free, but you MUST pay attention to ALL parking signs along those roads to avoid being ticketed or towed.
WHAT TO EXPECT: TONS of free or discounted merchandise and fun stuff to do and try for you and your pet. There will also be discounted adoption opportunities, discounted vaccinations, on-site low-cost micro-chipping for your pets, and free nail trimming.
Last year’s event was held at the Travis County Expo Center and there were so many vendors and free stuff for pets that you needed a wheel-barrel to bring it to your car. This year’s event will be held in the larger Palmer Events Center building and promises to be even bigger than year’s past. Come prepared for lots of free trial size food, treats, and merchandise for your pet and you. You will also have plenty of opportunities to shop pet-themed and non-pet themed vendors alike.
There will be plenty of rescue and adoption groups on hand if you are looking for a new family member. They ask that if you are coming to find a new pet to bring home that you come prepared with leash, harness, muzzle restraint and/or carrier crate. There will be some carrier crate and pet taxi vendors on hand, but they have always sold out of merchandise early. So if you intend to adopt they ask that you arrive early to buy a crate on site before they are gone or to remember to bring your own. There are none to be lent, borrowed, or rented at the facility/event.
There will be discounted vaccinations and low-cost micro-chipping on site. There will also be free nail trimming. Again, please consider the safety of your pet and the patrons attending. There are several guidelines laid out by the event and they can be viewed at this link. http://www.austinpetexpo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=12 Remember that it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your pet and those attending the event.
On hand will be a large number of vendors to make people aware of the many different services and products that pet owners can find in their city. From Cancer treatment to potty training, from invisible fences to micro-chipping, from squeaky toys to custom turf…there is something for everyone and every pet. You can also find plenty of organizations to become involved with, whether through donations or volunteering your time.
If you do not own a pet but would like to become involved with charity operations helping animals, this is a great place to see a lot of organizations in the area. You will be able to get information on the organizations, talk to people involved, and get contacts for volunteer opportunities. The same for if you are looking to eventually adopt an animal, this will give you a wide source of local vendors to ask questions and get information to help you make an informed decision for what pet would be best for you.
This event is not just for the dogs. There will be vendors covering reptiles, ferrets, rabbits, cats, and even birds. Cats, ferrets, and rabbits are restricted to be in pet carriers ONLY due to the number of dogs that will be on site. Please make sure that you do not bring any type of pet into a situation that could lead to disaster. Please refer to the pet tips document link for any questions that you may have. http://www.austinpetexpo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=12
For those looking for celebrity encounter opportunities, the event will have Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss”, Shorty Rossi, available to sign his book and photos all day. He charges a nominal fee for autographs and the fees and book sales go back to his Pit Bull rescue group, Shorty’s Pit Bull Rescue. And yes, Hercules the wonder dog will be beside Shorty, as well.
Also on hand will be Celebrity Pet Expert Harrison Forbes. He will take the stage and answer your questions on dog training, behavior, and other dog related issues. If you have a question about why your dog does what he does, this will be the perfect time to find out.
The event manager, Courtney Rydstrom adds, “A lot of people don’t realize all of the pet-friendly resources available to them in their communities and our goal is to help get that information out there. It’s a fun-filled day for pet owners – or those who’d one day like to be!”
Plan to spend the day taking advantage of this awesome event. For more information, including a complete schedule of events and directions, visit www.austinpetexpo.com orwww.facebook.com/austinpetexpo, or call toll free at 1.800.977.3609 or 1.855.PET.EXPO
Hope to see you there!