It was a paw-sitively beautiful day for the 11th annual Bark in the Park at Riverside Park, hosted by the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County.
Pups and their people, enjoying the slight nip in the air, all had a little extra pep in their step as the humans visited canine-centric vendors and food trucks, and four-legged pooches greeted their furry friends with tail-wagging exuberance.
Activities throughout the day included pups taking turns leaping into the Ultimate Diving Dogs pool, or trying their paws on the lure course. Visitors also viewed amazing tricks by the Disconnected K-9 Frisbee dogs, laughed at the Puppy Pals Comedic Stunt Dog Show, and admired the Indian River County Sheriff’s K-9 officers and their partners.
A dog costume contest was brought back this year and, new this time, they added a dog-owner look-a-like competition, according to Tracey Kinsley, Humane Society chief communications officer.
“We wanted to give pet owners the opportunity to show off their pups to the community,” she explained.
“The purpose of the event was to raise awareness and monies for the thousands of homeless, lost and at-risk pets in our community,” said Kinsley.
She added that the Humane Society has seen a 30 percent increase in owner surrenders during the first quarter of the year. In response, the nonprofit shelter is focusing on ways to keep people and their pets together, including through their Pawsitive Impact program, which supports struggling pet owners with resources and referrals.
For more information, visit hsvb.org.
Photos provided
