SHREWSBURY – Community members, pet enthusiasts, and hundreds of four-legged friends descended upon Shrewsbury’s Scandinavian Athletic Club Park on September 10 for the 25th annual Pet Rock Festival.
The event – which first began in Shrewsbury – encourages people to be kind toward all animals. The festival also highlights the work of animal welfare organizations throughout New England.
“Our big message is just to get the word out. Be kind to animals, and there’s a breed rescue for every breed,” said event co-organizer Jeannie Hebert. “It’s great to see people really caring for their animals. Our whole point is to promote kindness to animals and getting people to realize these are living, breathing creatures that will be your best friends for life.”
At the festival, community members had the opportunity to speak to numerous veterinarians, adoption agencies, and nonprofits. Many of the agencies brought adoptable dogs who were “paraded” around the festival grounds.
“When people – sometimes, not as much as they used to 25 years ago – say ‘you don’t get a good dog from a rescue.’ That’s not true. Not true,” said Hebert.
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The festival featured several pet-related events, including an amateur dog show (which included “Best Ears,” “Waggiest Tail,” and “Owner-Dog Look Alike” competitions), cat photo contests, dog frisbee shows, and much more.
There weren’t just dogs at the event – rabbit, ferret, parrot, and porcupine rescue organizations were represented. Hebert said some visitors bring unique animals to the festival, including one man who typically comes with an iguana hanging around his neck.
“There’s even someone who comes with her little white rat she dresses as Cinderella,” she said.
The festival had over 100 vendors, including booksellers, pet-related shops, and myriad food options. The event had raffles, balloon animals, and the ever-popular doggie water park.
“We’ve got something for everybody here,” Hebert said.
The event also featured live music, headlined by Grafton-native Ricky Duran. Duran, who was the runner-up on season 17 of “The Voice,” flew from Texas to perform at the festival. Other performers at Pet Rock included “Jennifer Tefft and the Strange,” “The Odd Couple,” “Lee Totten,” and “Office Party.”
Organizers expected roughly 1,500 people, but over 2,500 people (not including any pets) were at the event just under an hour after opening. Traffic backed up onto Lake Street and parking lots were full.
“It’s incredible. It’s overwhelming because of the crowds, but it’s a good problem to have. It’s great to see people smiling, dogs smiling. The dogs are having a blast,” Hebert said.
The weather mostly cooperated. The sun was out for the start of the event, although showers soon rolled through the area. Hebert said she had been up since 3:30 a.m. worrying about the potential for bad weather, but said the rain was actually “refreshing.”
