The Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry’s third annual PAWS for Homeless Animals event has been in the planning phase for several months now, and it all comes to fruition Aug. 23 at Festival Park in Hobart.
On that day, there will be more than 70 vendors of all types occupying the park. Tents offering various types of goods and services for both humans and their furry counterparts will be set up alongside a wide variety of food vendors.
The event will kick off with a fun walk at 10:30 a.m. – check in starting at 10 a.m. – and vendor booths will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A pet blessing by Father Andrew Corona of Nativity of Our Savior Parish in Portage will take place at 1 p.m. and ongoing entertainment will be provided by Whiskey & Harmony.
“We’ve always had a great turn out in previous years, but this year’s event is on a whole different level with the introduction of the fun walk, an increased number of vendors and a great new location,” Michelle Duca, founder of the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry, said.
“Our mission is to help local pet owners and homeless animals in the region, and this event is essential in allowing us to do that.”
Patrons can also enjoy professional pet photos by Nina G. Photography and numerous demonstrations by groups such as Paw Power Blue Dog Training Club and Dunes Dog Training Club. Children are also welcomed at the event as there will be a bounce house and an abundance of children’s crafts and activities including face painting.
One of the booths the Kibble Kitchen was more than happy to invite to this year’s festivities will be raising money for a local service dog in training. Denise Robinson of Hobart will be in attendance selling homemade dog treats to raise money for her son’s service dog Izzy. Robinson’s son has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome with autonomic failure, which causes his blood pressure to drop and his heart rate to rise causing him to pass out.
Izzy, a terrier mix, senses the oncoming episodes and alerts Robinson’s son before an episode occurs, allowing him to get to a safe place and begin his treatment. Izzy does very well with the medical alert part of her job but still needs further training through Big Macs Service Dogs. Robinson has been working every event possible to help offset the costs of the training and is looking forward to the August event.
I’m so excited to be at the event,” Robinson said. “With more training, Izzy will learn to retrieve items and open doors for my son. This is so very important to us because this will help him when he is having flare ups. Without Izzy my son would not get to do stuff a normal 22 year old could do."
The Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry was established in 2011 to assist pet owners within Porter County facing financial hardship. The pantry has since expanded their services to include Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart residents with a 46342 zip code. But with additional services being provided the need for additional donations and volunteers has also increased.
For more information about the Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry and the third annual PAWS for Homeless Animals event, including a full list of vendors, please visit www.facebook.com/kibblekitchen or call 219-947-4400.