Inaugural Cleveland Pet Expo offers education, entertainment for animal lovers

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It was a tail-wagging good time during Cleveland’s first-ever All American Pet Expo, which ran Friday through Sunday at the I-X Center.

Shannon Prior, the owner and organizer of the Columbus Pet Expo, said by the end of the day, she expected the total number of attendees for the weekend to be around 10,000.

Visitors to the pet-friendly event had the chance to interact with 100 vendors across different markets ranging from pet treats, toys and attire. Some of the vendors also brought interesting and unusual animals that people could interact with, like capybaras, wallabies, kangaroos and reptiles – like an over 100-year-old snapping turtle, the oldest in the country.

There were also stations to watch dogs dive into a large pool a course using toys to guide dogs over obstacles.

Prior, a self-described animal lover, said there is “a little bit of everything.”

“It’s all about getting the best and greatest things for your pets, but also learning,” she said. “Over in our reptile areas, there’s little baby sulcata tortoises for sale, but there’s also big sulcatas for sale over there so you actually understand what you’re getting into.”

“We try to make it all one big happy event here,” Prior added.

In addition to the exhibits and animal attractions, there were also animal rescue organizations at the event that Prior said educate in different areas. For example, some groups specialize in particular dog breeds like collies, boxers and golden retrievers, but also in creatures like skunks.

One of the rescues included Lyndhurst-based Kane’s Mission Dog Rescue. Melissa Harvey, Kane’s founder, said they are a foster-based rescue though they do not yet have a facility. Harvey added that they had been at the Expo for its three-day duration.

Harvey said that they had an “awesome” experience at the expo and that she was very impressed. They also got a lot of engagement from attendees, particularly about the adoption process.

Vendors were not the only ones enjoying themselves. Attendees like Sue Olson of Lyndhurst, who is a dog trainer, also seemed impressed with the inaugural event.

Olson said she had attended the event on Friday, coming back Sunday with her granddaughters and her 10-month-old Australian labradoodle Jovi.

“My granddaughters are having fun,” she said. ” I love the baby goats, and people were nice to talk to. It’s always good to expand your horizons.”

This was one of the many things that Prior said she hoped people took away from this event.

“We hope [visitors] get to find new things for their animals, like better chews, better shampoos, better dog toys, better cages, and just kind of walk away with a better understanding of what they already have at home,” Prior said.

The All American Pet Expo is set to return in the fall with more vendors. The autumn event is slated for Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, according to the website.