A day for pets

Aiming to raise awareness towards the plight of stray dogs, a family event is being held in Bahrain on April 13 which will bring leading animal welfare advocates together on one platform to discuss the issue and present ways to combat it.

Bahrain Pet Expo 2018 will see the participation of members from leading activist groups, who will talk of the current crisis and bring forth initiatives that will help make a difference. Well-known face in the community, Tony Waters (more popularly known as Tony the Dogfather) will be joining the panel as well. 

Speaking to DT News, he said: “I am looking forward to be a part of the panel at the Bahrain Pet Expo 2018 to discuss the issue of strays in Bahrain and what measures can be taken to ensure that they are well cared for. There are groups who do their best to care for the strays but a lot of support is needed from not only the government but also individuals. Do join me at Adhari Park to know how a little help from you can make a difference to the stray animals of Bahrain.” 

Adding to this, Bahrain Rescues representative for the panel, Mojda Banahi said, “Our mission is to educate our community on how to deal with stray dogs and stress on the importance of controlling the population in a humane way.”

Alise Lappo from Bahrain Strays, also stressed the need to educate on how to deal with strays. “When people see a pack of strays coming their way, they panic and react in ways that makes matter worse. During the talk, I would like to stress upon ways on how to react when faced with a stray dog/dogs.” 

They will be joined by BSPCA Chairman, Mahmoud Faraj who is optimistic towards certain initiatives in the pipeline already: “The municipality have informed me that they are in the final stages of arranging the Catch/Neuter/Release program and I am optimistic that it will happen soon. To my understanding and based on their explanation, the offer will be put to tender for the vets very soon in order to determine which vet will take on the responsibility of neutering the stray dogs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

Baloo’s story gets first public screening

Aside from the gripping discussion, the event will also provide the first public screening of a documentary pertaining to a very special rescue dog by the name ‘Baloo.’ Writer and Consultant Sarah Clarke adopted Baloo in 2007. After rehabilitation and training, Baloo’s bubbly personality shone through and he quickly established himself as the dog that everyone wanted to meet and play with. He will be making a special appearance at the expo as well. A special health-talk on animal hygiene and care will also be part of the event.

For the love of animals...a family affair! 

The event being organized by event management company ‘ROOM32’ and

the leading weekly of Bahrain, ‘Weekender’ aims to provide families with an exciting experience that will be centred on animals and the happiness pets bring into our lives. Registered pets will be able to take part in many games and competitions, walking away with exciting giveaways and gift hampers. There will be a kid’s entertainment area also which includes face painting, balloon making, mascot interaction and more. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a range of stalls that will cover the shopping corner and food corner. There will also be a petting zoo and pony rides to get young visitors excited.

Aside from that, visitors will also have a chance to adopt a vaccinated/neutered stray dog or cat from the venue itself as ‘Save Our Strays’, ‘Bahrain Rescues’ and other groups will be bringing their rescued animals to the event for adoption possibilities. Pet owners can also pamper their precious ones by making use of the free health check-ups by Four Paws and free grooming services by Pretty Paws, readily available at the venue.

Ajay Vallabhan, Director of PR & Events, Room32 shared: “Room32 has always remained committed to arranging events that impact the greater good. This time we wanted to bring forth something that is exciting for the whole family while serving a great cause. We aim to make the first edition of Bahrain Pet Expo 2018 an impactful gathering where visitors will leave with great memories and better awareness towards animal welfare, particularly towards stray dogs.”  

Mehr Jan, Deputy Editor of Weekender and the Moderator for the discussion panel added, “It is alarming and disheartening to see the plight of stray dogs in Bahrain. I am glad to have joined hands with ROOM32 to talk about this situation in an ambience that will also showcase the extreme joy and happiness pets bring into our lives. We are hoping attendees will leave with a positive mindset to adopt cats and dogs and discover the endless joy these furry ones can bring to us. It is going to be epic!”

The event is set to take from 4pm till 10pm at Adhari Park. Entry fee is 500 fils and no entrance charge for children below 5 years of age. For more details and pet registration, call 38444684