Pawpalooza pet festival on saturday

CEBU, Philippines - To celebrate that bond between pets and their humans, Banilad Town Centre (BTC), a pet-friendly mall, presents PAWPALOOZA on Saturday, September 22 from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. A series of exciting activities are lined-up to promote responsible pet ownership and for an overall fantastic and “pawsome” time!

Registration of pets starts at 1 p.m. The Cebu City Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries will be conducting free veterinary and grooming services that include anti-rabies vaccination, deworming and nail trimming. A highlight is the unveiling of a special, first ever photo exhibit at the BTC lobby in cooperation with Banana Babies and Royal Pictures featuring Cebu’s “Pawsonalities” and their fur babies.

Plus, the Philippine Dogs Athletic Association will be officially launched on this day and will include a dog walk and agility demonstration. A talk entitled “Training the Companion Dog: Real Training for Real Life Skills” will be held at 3 p.m. with speakers, Professional dog behaviorist Jojo Isorena and Canine Life and Social Skills Instructor and Evaluator Elsie Araneta.

A colorful fashion show organized by the Shih Tzu Club of Cebu will take center stage with pets and their owners strutting their stuff to win prizes. Registration for participation in the fashion show and contest is at P100 with net of the proceeds going to the Island Rescue Foundation (IRO), a SEC registered non-profit organization composed of volunteers dedicated to helping the plight of animals in the region through rescue, education and advocacy. A photo booth will be onsite to capture your BTC Pawpalooza experience with your loved ones and serve as a keepsake of the fun-filled afternoon.

Ongoing online as well is the Pawpalooza Pet Look-Alike Contest. Submit any photo of you and your pet, which shows a striking resemblance or theme, be it through costumes, color-coordinated outfits, expressions, poses or even a more physical likeness. Just be creative. Email your photo to pawpalooza@ gmail.com on or before September 30, 6 p.m. and wait for it to appear with the rest of the finalists on BTC’s official page on Facebook www.facebook.com/baniladtowncenter for online voting.

BTC is a bike- and pet-friendly zone. Bring your pet for quality bonding time while you enjoy the variety of choices available in their lifestyle strip. For more information contact 345-3260 – 61 or visit www.baniladtowncentre.com. (FREEMAN)