HENDERSON — Pets and their companions descended on the old Boyd dealership on Saturday for the third biannual Pet-A-Palooza.
There were all sorts of activities to do and places to shop — a good two dozen merchants of handmade wares stood on either side of the main drag and six food trucks kept folks fed. Staff from Vance County Animal Shelter came out with a mobile adoption center — around midday they reported no adoptions, but some interest from attendees. The Henderson Fire Department came out with a truck as well.
The event is put on each year the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society, headquartered just catty-corner from the old Boyd dealership on US-158 Bypass. Executive Director Tracey Tsoumbos was brought into the organization late last year, and one of her goals was to expand the event.
A new activity to the event was letting kids “adopt” a little stuffed animal. As with real pets, though, they required a little more care than a walk. Kids took them around to several stations — a veterinarian, a groomer, a trainer, a daycare — to impress upon them the importance of regular pet care.
Indeed, Vance County has many, many resources for pet owners. The only thing missing is homes, said Tsoumbos. She volunteered for years at VCAS and has “some stories to tell,” she described. In one month, there were eight litters of puppies brought to the shelter. She recounted finding a bag of puppies on the roadside.
There is a chronic problem of homeless animals in Vance County. Then, they go out and multiply, creating an ever-growing problem. And the solution? Spaying and neutering.
Speaking of resources, the VCAS will hold a rabies shot clinic on May 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Drewry Volunteer Fire Department at 125 Firefighter Drive. Folks’ll be charged $5 per shot.
She shared a few insights into pet ownership that folks might take for granted.
An important thing to consider when adopting a pet is lifestyle. Big, energetic dogs won’t do so well in a cramped apartment. And a person who goes on runs each day probably won’t cooperate with a lazy lap dog.
Another is personality — not unlike people, dogs and cats tend to have some kind of behavior or tendency towards behavior that distinguishes themselves.
Appropriately, as she was talking, a dog walked up and sat right down on this reporter’s foot. She has a tendency to walk a while and then, with little warning, sit down and rest.
And that same family has a second dog with a similar quirk. They looked almost like statues, sitting and keeping watch in opposite directions. They complemented each other, in other words.
In short, keeping those quirks in mind and accommodating them will make the relationship all the more harmonious.
Meanwhile, just nearby, Michelle Wood, director of operations for RCAPS, was hard at work that day making custom, handmade bandanas for palooza-goers. The sewing machine chugged away, embroidering the name “COCO” in bright green lettering into a bandana.
Proceeds, naturally, went to RCAPS.
Brandon Boyd founded the nonprofit in 2011. Since then, it has assisted Vance County Animal Shelter in a variety of ways.
