By Ethan Duran
One of Dock Dogs’ canines gets ready to make a leap at this year’s Fromm Petfest. (Picture by Ethan Duran)
Happy barks and wagging tails gathered the Henry Maier Festival Grounds last Saturday for Fromm Petfest 2018. The free event opened at 10 a.m., where droves of dogs, cats and their owners poured in to watch competitions, explore resources at pet car booths and let their pets mingle until the fest closed at 6 p.m. All sorts of animals were welcomed in, even rabbits and birds.
In an earlier press release, Don Smiley, CEO of Milwaukee World Festival Inc. stated, “We are excited to host this free event for pet lovers throughout the community and bring them all together at Henry Maijer Festival Park.” There were as many attractions as there were pets at Petfest and most of the day’s activities were dog-oriented.
The festival’s classic Agility Course, Doggie Dash and Dock Diving activities gathered crowds. Next to that crowed, were dozens of tents designated to pet-oriented organizations who lined the sidewalks—some of with raffles, prize wheels and pet merchandise. There were also countless numbers of Labradors, terriers, bulldogs and other breeds that prowled event’s grounds.
Dock Dogs made a big splash as retrievers hopped after toys into a swimming pool, some jumping as far as twenty feet before landing in the water. The ground around the pool was soaked as children and parents leaned on the pool barrier, watching airborne dogs shoot out like cannonballs into the water. Guests who wanted to stay dry sat on the nearby bleachers, where competing dogs were toweled off.
Petfest’s Kitty City returned for the second year in the Summerfest store near the festival’s middle gate. Inside were comfy cages containing cats up for adoption, tables with pamphlets, free cans of Fromm cat food for the first 2000 guests, and a very talented caricature artist who did complimentary “caticatures” turning guests’ likenesses into cats. Informational sessions were held every couple of hours covering topics like new cancer treatment methods for cats and nutritional advice. Just outside of Kitty City was Adoption Avenue, a small market of tents set up by different rescue and nonprofit organizations, such as Pug Hugs Pug Rescue, the Brew City Bully Club and the Wisconsin Humane Society.
Outside of the tents were adoptable dogs interacting with prospecting owners. The dogs wore red bandanas that read, ‘Adopt Me! On the opposite end of the fest, Pet Supplies Plus passed out green bandanas to owners in celebration of their 25th year anniversary. Pups walking with green bandanas on were spotted all over the event.
At 6 p.m., Petfest ended and a ton of canines, owners and green bandanas left for the parking lot. Some stayed behind to watch the Dock Dogs make their last diving rounds.
This marks the fifth year of Fromm and Milwaukee World Festival Inc.’s partnership for Petfest, which set a new attendance record.
“This year marks a huge milestone for us,” said Bryan Nieman, the brand director for Fromm Family Foods, “Petfest has grown faster than any of us dared to dream, and that is directly because of how warmly the community has embraced the event and how passionate pet lovers are.”