Skip to content

Maple Ridge Pet Fest in the park

Pet Fest takes place Aug. 26 in Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge.
8206790_web1_170822-MRN-M-_DSC7718
(THE NEWS/files) Pet Fest takes place Aug. 26 at Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge.

The dog days of summer are almost over, but not doggie days at the Haney Farmers Market.

On Aug. 26, it will be an all-out Pet Fest in Memorial Peace Park.

“The amount of pet vendors that we have this year has tripled from past years. We have 12 different booths this year. That’s a lot and everyone is different,” said Dawn Lutz, with Olá Dog Grooming and co-organizer of Pet Fest.

There will be a lady that does massage, not just for dogs, but for any kind of animal, and another vendor who performs pet healing.

“If they’ve had trauma, or anxiety in their lifetime, she can tune in on that and make them feel a little bit better,” said Lutz.

There will also be a vendor who makes Mexican collars and another one who sells copper bowls for dogs.

“Apparently they are supposed to be a lot better for your dogs because they don’t collect bacteria, copper bowls,” Lutz said.

Another lady will be doing pet portraits, taking photoss and painting them on canvas.

Mr. Pets will have a booth selling pet supplies and there will be vendors selling doggie treats.

Activities and demonstrations will start at 11 a.m. in Memorial Peace Park with a pet parade.

Prizes will be awarded by guest judges – Maple Ridge fire chief Howard Exner, executive director of the Friends In Need Food Bank Mary Robson and local realtor Orlando Johannson with Sutton Group – for the best costumed pets.

There will be a ball and spoon race, in which participants will have to manoeuvre between obstacles with a golf ball balanced on a spoon while holding their dog on a leash, a loudest bark competition, best trick competition and a musical mats competition.

“It’s like musical chairs. So when the music stops you must make your dog sit or [lie] down on the mat. And if you are not sitting or down on the mat you are out,” said Lutz, adding that there will be prizes for first, second and third.

Lutz will be doing a poodle grooming demonstration, hand scissoring a poodle’s legs.

Cedar Valley K9 will be doing a Fit Paws demonstration.

“It’s teaching dogs to balance on unusual objects. Getting their balance, getting their skill level and exercising their muscles at the same time. Making them think about the different objects,” explained Lutz.

The RCMP will be doing a 15-minute bomb sniffing demonstration.



Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
Read more