Niagara Pet Expo this weekend in Niagara Falls
Does your parrot need a pedicure? Does your alpaca need a day out?
Pet owners and their companions are invited to spend the weekend at Scotiabank Convention Centre as the Niagara Pet Expo comes to town.
“It’s a huge festival celebrating pets,” said Lyndal Moody, event spokeswoman. “It’s like being in a big amusement park for animals for the weekend.”
The event is organized by Grant Crossman, co-director of the popular Canadian Pet Expo which is held each year in Mississauga. This is the first time he’s brought the pet expo to Niagara Falls.
“We wanted to bring our show to an area that shares the same level of passion for their pets that we do and celebrate together,” he said.
“The Niagara region and the Golden Horseshoe has the largest population and greatest diversity of companion pets in all of Ontario. Cats, dogs, horses, birds and reptiles … the Niagara region has them all.”
The two-day event will include more than 150 vendor booths, a cat show, a canine agility park zone, a best dressed contest, microchipping clinic, fly ball show and dog dock diving demonstrations.
“You can participate in activities and your pet can participate in activities,” Moody said.
Celebrity guests include magician Greg Frewin and local dog expert Dave McMahon.
McMahon will be on site during scheduled meet and greets as well presenting a demonstration on dog training.
“It’s going to be such an exciting event because there is such a diversity of events,” he said.
Other celebrity appearances include Hulk, an 80-kilogram dog from New Hampshire at has a huge social media following and Merlin the rag doll, a crankylooking feline who has well more than a 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Guests can also get up close with various animals including a kangaroo, iguana, tortoise, alligator and snakes.
The Niagara Pet Expo takes place Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets are available online www.niagarapetexpo.ca. Pet owners who want to bring along their pets must bring a signed waiver. Waivers are available on the website.