CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sunday's Dogtoberfest event at Brandi Fenton Park had fun for people and their furry best friends.
The festival featured food trucks, pet vendors, and doggy costume contests.
Pups put on a show for their owners — strutting in their Halloween outfits and posing against the fall photo backdrop — while others showed off for their potential future owners.
Dogtoberfest, put on by Tucson Dog Magazine, Prime Leaf and Dogtopia, is an Adopt-a-thon encouraging attendees to donate to rescues and take home pets in-need.
It also offered affordable vaccinations and microchips.
“I think it’s great for people to see that there can still be events with dogs. Right, well-behaved dogs," dog owners Ashley Wright and Dave Johnson said. "I think they get such a bad rap being out and about now.
"Especially the big ones like that," Johnson said, petting their Great Dane, Clyde, who was dressed as an elephant. "He’s probably the most gentle dog here.”
Wright and Johnson also brought their smaller pups Ellie and Emmie to Dogtoberfest for socialization.
Stephen Szostek with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona agrees that getting these animals in public settings is a game changer for their interactions with people and other dogs.
Their group attended the event to encourage animal foster care in a neutral environment which will hopefully lead to more adoptions.
The dogs just need some love and attention.
“It shows our animals an environment that’s not scary. If they’re in the shelter, they’re scared, there are a lot of noises, they don’t know what’s going on. It’s not predictable," he said.
"We bring them here where there’s space, new people, new venue...It teaches them that, 'I don’t always have to be so fearful'.”
Szostek added that there's a definite sense of urgency to raise adoption and foster numbers because most shelters are maxed out in every area.
“We’re at a point where it’s just hard in the community. And...it’s not just one organization. I think it’s everyone having these same struggles and hurdles," he said.
"So there is a time where we all kind of have to try and work together to try to get these animals out there, and help our community somehow, right?”
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
