Inaugural pet festival in San Luis arrives today
Costume, trick contests and dog race among slated events
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Dogs and cats will be the center of attention today in this city’s first-ever pet festival, but it will be their owners and the public who are having all the fun and laughs.
Pet costume and pet trick contests and a dog race are among the events slated in the inaugural Mascota Mania festival that begins at 9 a.m. in Joe Orduño Park.
But Louis Galaviz, the San Luis parks and recreation director, said the Mascota Mania festival has a second purpose — educating the public about rules and regulations for keeping pets and proper pet care.
“We want to provide more information about programs for pets and about city regulations,” he said. “But also we want people to come out and have a good time. There are many families in San Luis that have pets, so we want to give them the chance to take part in an event that has never been done before in the community.”
Admission is free to the festival that continues through 1 p.m. on the soccer field at the park, located on the city’s north side at Juan Sanchez Boulevard and Main Street.
The pet costume contest gets under way at 9:30 a.m., with judges picking winners based on originality, detail and presentation of the costumes.
Dogs, cats and other animals will show off their talents in a pet trick contest that starts at 10 a.m. Contestants will be judged on the originality and level of difficulty of the tricks they perform.
A contest to pick the rare pet breeds is slated at 11 a.m., followed by a barking competition at 11:30 a.m. Awards will be given for the loudest and the most unusual barks.
Free registration of pets for the contests will close a half hour before each competition. Cash prices will be given to the first- and second-place winners in each contest.
The Doggy Dash Race, open to small breeds of dogs, begins at noon. The owner of the winning dog receives a year’s supply of dog food, a trophy and cash prize. Prizes will also be given to the second- and third-place finishers.
Cost to enter the dog race is $1.
Galaviz organized a similar event in Somerton — Petpalooza — when he previously served as that city’s parks and recreation director. Based on success of the Somerton event, he’s expecting the San Luis festival to be a popular event among the border city’s residents.
On hand for the Mascotas Mania will be representatives of the San Luis Police Department to provide information about the city’s animal control regulations.
Humane Society of Yuma employees will also be present to offer low-cost vaccination and other services and information.
For more information about Mascota Mania, call (928) 341-8535 or (928) 341-8538, or visit www.sanluismascotamania.com.