Four- and two-legged kindred spirits gathered in Tumon on Saturday for some fun in the sun and the occasional rain.
The people and their furry best friends at Pet Fest Guam 2025 came to Gov. Joseph Flores Park at Ypao Beach to socialize and to spread awareness about Guam’s stray dog population.
The humans were glad their pets could enjoy each other’s company in the fresh outdoors.
“I feel bad for him. He’s always indoors, and he doesn’t have that many dog friends,” said Jennilyn Bravo who brought 4-year-old Bougie, a male Shih Tzu. “So we found out about this event through Instagram, and it was just a good opportunity for him to get out of the house.”
This year's pet party was a first for both of them.
“I love it,” Bravo said. “I love that all the local vendors and businesses are out here. It gives them an opportunity to just network with everyone. I think it’s just a great opportunity for the community to get together.”
‘A good event’
Lalani Aguon brought poodles Canela and Rocket, and a Maltese-poodle mix, or Maltipoo, named Ina to the event.
“I noticed there’s not a lot of facilities for dogs, like dog parks,” Aguon said. “So I figured this was a good event to bring them out and actually be in a safe place for them just to get out, experience the public and experience things.”
She said her dogs love other dogs, and she was glad they could socialize at Pet Fest.
Aguon was also there for the booths, the activities, and to learn more about what type of services are available on the island for pets.
“Then, hopefully, just support the event so we can continue to have more of this stuff for dogs and animals,” Aguon said. “Besides the rain, it’s great so far. It’s pretty big and there’s a lot for everybody to do.”
Fun and games with a message
The event was filled with games and activities but also information about responsible pet ownership.
Guam Animals In Need (GAIN) and Guåhan Paws for Pets, two nonprofit groups helping to reduce the number of stray dogs on Guam, were there to educate.
“On Guam,” Tina Guzman said, “people let their pets go that are unfixed and add to the stray population. And so we are trying to let people know … what happens when you let your unspayed pets go roaming around.” Guzman is the founder and director of Guåhan Paws for Pets.
She told the Post that stray dogs her group picks up are often in terrible shape.
“In the worst, worst of health. We pick them up (to) rehabilitate them, but, of course, we need funds to get these animals back to health and adopt them out,” she said.
In addition to spaying and neutering their pets, she also encouraged people to adopt animals from shelters or rescue groups instead of buying them.
Specific to Guam, she said, “The more people adopt from GAIN or Guåhan Paws for Pets animal rescue groups, the more we can bring in and rescue other animals in need of rescuing. We can’t save them all, but we try our best to do it.”
She said Guåhan Paws for Pets had helped find homes for over 300 dogs since 1999.
“I started looking out for lost pets, helping owners find their lost or missing pets. And, of course, when you’re out there looking for someone’s pet, you come across the strays in need. They’re sickly, mangy, emaciated, and that’s what started the rescue part of Guåhan Paws for Pets,” Guzman explained.
A shift in attitude
Guåhan Paws for Pets has seen a shift in the community. “More people seem to care,” said Ciera Tamayo, the group's vice president.
“If you were to look back, you would see that there’s a lot of cases of animal abuse,” she said. “Things like that that went unnoticed, really. More people seem to care, seem to want to become educated and knowledgeable. We see it even today. People, they are bringing their animals out, they have their shots, you can see the love and the care people are taking.”
She said people are learning “it’s okay to care.
“There’s been a stigma that it’s just a dog, or it’s just a cat. That’s not how it is and not how it should ever be. And we’re here to let people know that it’s OK. It may not be your animal, but let’s help it out and, in turn, help humanity.”
