The fun event may have doggy ball pits and painting but there is an important cause behind it. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
Whether you’ve got paws or just want to support a good cause, North Gong Hotel’s Dog Day is set to be the ultimate celebration of pets while providing an opportunity for rescue dogs to find their fur-ever homes.
An annual pet party with a purpose hosted by Pound Paws is set to attract crowds of canine lovers and animal enthusiasts to North Gong Hotel with exciting activities for pooches and vital connections which could help potential owners find a lifelong friend.
“We involve different rescue groups from that region and invite the local community to come down and meet dogs available for adoption as well as get education about responsible pet ownership,” Pound Paws founder Brittany Bloomer said.
“We have so much fun with all the attendees, all the rescue groups, all the vendors – we just keep it all really light and happy and family friendly.”
With a ‘paw-casso’ pet painting station, ball pit, puppy pilates session, pet market stalls and competitions for best dressed dog and best trick as well as live music and entertainment, there is plenty of fun to be had, but for some of the dogs attending on the day, it could also be life changing.
A former racing greyhound, ‘Rosie’ was saved by the event in more ways than one.
She was set to be euthanased after suffering severe leg injuries from a dog attack, but was taken in by Homeward Bound Hounds who raised the funds at the 2022 event to have her treated and rehomed.
“It’s the reason we’re doing it all; those stories make it all worth it,” Brittany said.
“Just to receive that update that all the medical bills were covered and she was able to successfully be rehomed is just amazing.
“And that’s just one of many stories; I can share so many more – Wollongong Pet Connection, just last year they had around four dogs attend and they all got rehomed from that event soon after and one of them was a senior staffy as well so that was really heartwarming to see.”
Funds raised at North Gong Dog Day helped Rosie get the treatment she needed and find her forever home. Photo: Supplied.
Through raising awareness and connecting the community with reputable organisations, Brittany hoped more people could be educated about how simple and realistic pet adoption could be.
“It’s about showing people to consider pet adoption first; it’s really easy and the rescue groups put a lot of effort into finding out about these pets,” she said.
“They do behavioural tests, they do a lot of training as well, they know the dogs inside out before they rehome them, so you know exactly what you get when you do adopt.
“Our mission at Pound Paws is to show people that if you want a particular breed, which we understand, whether it’s a poodle for hypoallergenic reasons or if its purely just down to physical reasons, we can help you find that pet.”
You can search by breed, age, size or lifestyle match and with these dog day events we bring in a variety of rescue groups so people notice that there’s breed specific rescue groups; for example there’s a Dachshund Rescue Australia, so this stops people from going straight to a breeder or Gumtree.”
With the culture around adoption already shifting, many owners are not just settling for rescue pets, they’re preferring them.
“I am noticing a big community response that it has become trendy to adopt; we notice this not just at dog day events but at dog parks. People are leading with the topic that they adopted their pet and they’re really proud of that,” Brittany said.
“That’s really nice to shape that in the sense of community.”
The North Gong Dog Day is this Saturday 20 September from noon to 4 pm at North Gong Hotel.
For more information visit the event webpage.
