Anyone looking to adopt a new, four-legged family member or simply enjoy some time with your furry friends is invited to William S. Hart Park for the 19th annual Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair on Oct. 13.
The event, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Animal Care and Control, is open to the public and free to attend.
Hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are expected to be available for adoption from all seven of the Los Angeles County Animal Shelters, with discounted adoption fees of $30.
Every animal is spayed or neutered, immunized, microchipped and ready to go home with adopters immediately, while volunteers and veterinary staff will also be available to answer any questions, according to event organizers.
Adopters are also expected to be gifted an “I’ve Just Been Adopted” goodie bag, which includes over $300 of free goodies and services for their new pet.
“Our community has come to love this event, and looks forward to it every year,” said Yvonne (Allbee) Hanson, founder of Bow-Wows & Meows Inc. “With it being our 19th year and upwards of 15,000 attendees and their dogs — it really says something about our community.”
The Santa Clarita-based nonprofit adopted out 166 pets at last year’s fair alone, and has done the same for more than 2,650 pets total since it began in 2001, according to Hanson.
“Our goal is to send all the shelter trucks back empty at the end of the day, and with the community’s help, we can make that happen,” Hanson added.
Well-behaved dogs of any breed can accompany their owners to the fair as long as they are kept on a non-retractable leash, are at least 18 weeks of age and fully vaccinated.
There are also many family-friendly activities for animal lovers planned throughout the day, including a raffle, food truck court, more than 70 vendors of pet-related supplies, photo booths and more.
Expert dog agility performances by Santa Clarita Valley Dog Agility Club are also scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., as well as the “Famous Fun Dog Show” at 1:30 p.m., where pet owners can enter their pups for $10 in various categories such as best vocalist, mystery mutt or pet-owner look-alike, and winners receive $50.
Pet owners can also take advantage of low-cost vaccines from TAGS Veterinary Clinic, including a free rabies shot, and L.A. County pet license renewals.
The 19th Annual Bow-Wows & Meows Pet Fair is scheduled 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13, at William S. Hart Park, located at 24151 Newhall Ave. in Newhall. Free community parking is expected to be available in the neighborhoods surrounding Hart Park, including the nearby Old Town Newhall parking structure and Metrolink parking lots.
For more information, visit BowWowsAndMeows.org.