Pets in the Park raises money for medical costs of injured animals

If you’re looking for something to do with your furry friend this weekend, look no “fur”ther than bringing them Sunday to Kiwanis Memorial Park — a park that doesn’t usually allow pets — for the 12th annual Pets in the Park.

Tami Vangool, executive director of New Hope Dog Rescue, said the goal of the event is to not only raise awareness for the work of the three founding organizations, New Hope Dog Rescue, the Saskatoon SPCA, and SCAT Street Cat Rescue, but also to raise money to cover the costs of medical care for injured, sick, homeless and orphaned animals in Saskatoon.

“When we can provide for them and we can take care of medical problems a lot of them have when they come in, then we have the time and the ability to get them ready to adopt into wonderful new homes,” said Colleen Wilson, one of the founders of Pets in the Park, who also sits on the committee.

She said the event is also important to highlight the bond between humans and animals, and to bring the community together.

“We all come together out of our love for animals,” she said. “Animals are also a great icebreaker. If you see someone that you might not normally talk to and they have their dog or cat, you’ll strike up a conversation.”

According to Wilson, depending on the year and the weather, they’ve had up to 9,000 people come out to the event, bringing mainly dogs, but also cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even reptiles.

Vangool said people — and pets — should come out on Sunday to spend a beautiful day in the park, and to enjoy the various activities like music from local musicians, pet portraits by High Four Pet Photography, nail trims by PetSmart, and various vendor booths for pet-related and pet-friendly businesses to showcase products and services, to name only a few of the things that will be taking place for both people and pets.

Pets in the Park will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday in Kiwanis Memorial Park North, on the north side of the Delta Bessborough hotel. Admission is free, and pets must be on leash at all times or inside a small carrier. Retractable leashes are not permitted.