Pet~Pourri: 2013 Great Iowa Pet Expo

Yesterday we spent about 4 hours at The Great Iowa Pet Expo. We saw a lot of old friends and met a lot of new friends. I went with a group of my best friends and some awesome volunteers for my rescue. We decided that next year, we will be back at the Expo with a booth…so mark your calendars now to come see us in person. J

The expo was very well organized this year and I thought it was even more enjoyable than last years. This year instead of having a “Rescue Row” where all the rescue groups are down one aisle, they were mixed throughout the venue. I think this worked out great because it gave them a better chance to raise funds. This is one of the primary reasons they are there. To promote their rescue and to raise funds to keep up their awesome work. Here are some of the groups that were there:

There were some other great causes there as well. One of my favorites was the Puppy Jake Foundation. They provide service dogs for wounded military veterans. They had some of their puppies in training there. Aren’t they too cute?

There were also a couple groups there helping bring awareness of all the Puppy Mills in Iowa; Iowa Friends of Companion Animals and Bailing Out Benji. These groups are dedicated to educating people on the atrocities of puppy mills and putting a stop to them.

Another group that was there was St. Francis Foundation for Pets. They specialize in prevention of animal cruelty through education, community outreach and legislation. They really do some great work and help prosecute animal cruelty cases.

There were several pet product groups there as well. My old friend Joyce from Precious Petwear, Canine Country Club, Amour, Petsakes, Loving Rest Pet Cemetery and Iowa Pet Chapel, Three Dog Bakery, and many more.

One group I think is wonderful is The Pet Project Midwest. They help reunite lost pets with their families and give food to low income families so they can keep their pets. They also help provide meals to the pets of clients of Meals on Wheels. You should check out their site…and if you go to the Pet Expo before 4pm today, make sure to take a donation.

There was so much more to see. A wonderful artist, Kara Berlow, was there with some samples of her amazing work. And the kids enjoyed A Touch of Color by Jenny. There were many colorful faces wondering around.

Of course Dr. Anderson was there from Anderson Vet Clinic. Abby’s Road Vet Care, and the ISU Vet Tech school were also represented. Today they are having an adoption event, Canine Good Citizen testing, and Neuter a Tom events.

But I can’t close this blog without mentioning Yappy Pet. They specialize in embroidered collars and engraved pet tags. They were making them on site. I asked them about getting tags for my puppers here at the rescue and she made these beautiful tags for me right there. They are based out of Kansas City, but will send their items anywhere. Just take a look at the tags she made for me: