As the Lions Club gears up to build the first leash-free dog park in Wellesley, pet owners in neighbouring Woolwich are left wagging their tails. At the moment, there is no public, leash-free dog park in the entire township.
That could change. On May 25-26 at the Woolwich Memorial Centre, the first annual Woofwich Pet Show will bring all manner bone and leash to local pet owners, all while raising money for a proposed Woolwich dog park.
For Cynthia Lean of the Woofwich organizing committee, it’s a cause worth barking over.
![Members of the pet show organizing committee pose with their four-legged friends.[submitted]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/news-woofwich.jpg)
“It’s very important for socialization for the dogs,” said Lean. “Dogs are pack animals, so they need to be around other animals, other dogs. I feel that it’s important for exercise, mental stimulation, and all the things that a dog needs to be a good, well-rounded dog.”
She added, “A tired dog is a good dog.”
The Woofwich event will bring pet stores, groomers, rescue groups, and a number of industry professionals as vendors. Tickets to the event (which will have products for all pets) are $2 per person, or $5 for families, with all funds going to dog park development.
“It’s going to be a perfect family activity,” promised Lean. “We’ve got all kinds of different stuff going on for the kids. For the animals, you’re going to come and speak with pet industry professionals, and they’re going to give you some quality advice and information about products.”
She continued, “And this is the only pet show in the region. It’s not something that you can just do any other weekend.”
The pet show marks the first major fundraiser for the Woolwich Dog Owners Association, a coalition of groomers, trainers and pet owners in the area. The group, which is still discussing possible locations with township representatives, hopes to raise $30,000 from fundraisers in 2013, with an equal amount in 2014. According to Lean, this money is critical to making the park a viable resource.
“Right now it’s raising the funds,” said Lean. “It’s not just, ‘Hey, we have a piece of land, let’s throw up a fence.’ We need to get garbage bags and proper resources so that it stays a clean and pleasant community service. And we need to have a proper piece of land where people can park – not necessarily in people’s backyards, because there is noise involved.”
More information about the Woofwich Pet Show can be found at www.woofwichpetshow.ca.
