Arlington Park pet show draws more than 10,000 visitors
Arlington Park Racecourse is linked in everyone’s minds with equine pursuits.
But this weekend, the racetrack held an event devoted to the entire animal kingdom.
More than 10,000 visitors attended the three-day Chicagoland Family Pet Expo.
“With this nice weather, we’re still having a great turnout,” said Jody Baum of Tower Show Productions, which organizes and promotes the show.
The annual event, now in its 20th year, is a one-stop shop for people interested in the latest pet products.
Baum said the idea for the event was generated by someone who had rescued a dog and realized an expo was needed for everyday pet lovers and rescue organizations.
Earthborn Holistic Pet Food had a booth, promoting organic food for pets. Sue Johnson, who helped run the booth, explained the importance of natural foods.
“You can either pay for natural foods to start off with or you can pay for the vet because of the less natural foods they are eating,” she said.
Johnson compared the difference to eating “Ramen or McDonald’s” to eating “broccoli and grilled chicken,” with the former leading to such conditions as diabetes in dogs.
Much Of Sunday’s event was aimed at dogs. Vendors offered dog treats and dog day care services, and more than 100 rescue groups were on hand, with everything from small dog breeds to huge St. Bernards.
Peter Pawinski and Sonjia Waxmonsky of Chicago are two of the prospective dog owners who came to the expo.
“We’re just trying to get a sense of what’s out there,” Pawinski said.
Visitors were not allowed to bring pets, but the vendors had plenty of pets on hand. Besides dogs, there were also cat rescue groups, and several varieties of birds from the Greater Chicago Bird Cage Club, including parrots.
The entertainment included a three-piece cat rock band called the Rockcats, and Rock-N-Roll K9’s, which consisted of dogs navigating an obstacle course, including a ramp decorated with piano keys. The event began with a dog parade set to the tune of “Who Let the Dogs Out?”