The Monmouth SPCA’s Dog Walk and Pet Fair returns to the Brookdale campus Saturday. Local rockers the Wag, below, will be there to set tails a-wag. (Photo below by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
Back for its 22nd annual edition — the third since finding a “new leash on life” as a springtime event — the Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk and Pet Fair commandeers the Lincroft campus of Brookdale Community College for a colorful five-hour festival Saturday.
A benefit for the programs and services of the MCSPCA, the “Paws for a Cause” walk is just the centerpiece of a slate of activities for adults, kids and canines, bolstered by some 100 vendor booths, adoption and microchip clinics, a 50/50 raffle, food trucks, face painting, “pupparazzi” photos, “cutest tricks” contest and even a “Canine PUPtials” wedding chapel.
There’s live entertainment as well — including the return of an ever-faithful favorite — plus emcee Jimmy Steal of rock radio station 95.9 The Rat.
Expected to draw more than 2,000 people and their pets to the lawns and walkways of the BCC grounds, the event, co-sponsored by Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, stands as the nonprofit’s primary fundraising vehicle, with proceeds dedicated to providing care and finding “forever homes” for the thousands of homeless animals that pass through the MCSPCA’s shelter every year.
A troupe of Frisbee-catching aerialists is scheduled to perform at 10:30 a.m., in addition to another repeat attraction, a demonstration of police K-9 skills conducted by officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department.
Also returning are the two-legged friends in the Wag, the Middletown-based combo whose infectiously perky brand of powerpop has set happy tails a-wag at many a MCSPCA happening. Having done their first United Kingdom mini-tour last fall, Brian Ostering (bass, vocals), Alicia Van Sant (keys, percussion, vocals), Don Lee (guitar, vocals) and Arielle Strauss (percussion) reconvene on familiar turf for several sets of tunes that take place from event start time through 1 p.m.
The Dog Walk and Pet Fair, co-sponsored by Red Bank Veterinary Hospital runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free for spectactors. Take it here for a complete schedule, as well as details on registering as an individual or team, sponsoring a walker, or donating to the MCSPCA’s programs.
