VALLEJO HOSTS `POOCHELLA'
Saturday's event marks the GVRD's second annual dog-focused festival
“Best Wag” and “Best Bark” were among the honors at stake Saturday at the Greater Vallejo Recreation District's second annual “Poochella.”
With a none-too-subtle nod to humans at the Coachella Valley music festival, dogs of seemingly all breeds and types too over City Park from morning to mid-afternoon.
Emily Mendez, GVRD special events coordinator, highlighted Chico, a dog dressed in a yellow rain jacket. Accessorized with a red balloon, Chico won first in Poochella's best costume contest.
Mendez said planning for her first Poochella with GVRD began in May, she contacted local businesses and shelters to serve as vendors, in addition to spreading the word about the festival.
“Vallejo has a very big community of dog lovers,” Mendez said.
It's a sentiment vendor Phil Carrera agreed with. Carrera, who operates “Pawtastic Pet Services” in the city, said dog walks are the most popular request he receives through the business. Saturday marks the first time Carrera brought his pet service business to Poochella.
Also vending at the festival was Vallejo Dog Training Club, providing canvases for dogs to paint their own pieces. Between the pets and canvases lay a plastic film with either peanut butter or cheese on top; underneath it lay the paints on the canvas. The paint spread when the dogs moved to eat the food.
Some dogs had better luck than others. Vallejo resident Keegan Cuellar said Astro, his 14-year-old Chow Chow-German Shepherd, was more interested in getting the treat than smearing the paint. He
said his two-year-old German shepherd, Karl, was more driven and would likely have better luck.
Cuellar and his wife, Kimberly, made their first trip to Poochella after coming across the festivities
while running errands. Previously from the Central Valley, he said such events in Vallejo reinforce their decision to move to the city three years ago.
“Vallejo is more than a diamond in the rough,” said Cuellar. “I truly believe if people saw it more than just what they think it is … it's truly a remarkable place to be.”