Pet love visible at pet expo
Combine an all-feline rock band, an all-natural canine cannoli and an all-reptile exhibit, and you've got this year's Chicagoland Family Pet Expo at Arlington Park racecourse.
But for every whimsical performance, organic food sample and iguana photographed with a hesitant 8-year-old, there are plenty of heartwarming encounters also taking place over the course of the three-day, 19th annual event.
Take Rachel Boyd, a youthful looking 31-year-old who attended Friday afternoon as part of an outing from the Little Angels home in Elgin for children and young adults with severe disabilities.
Boyd, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, broke into smile after wide smile whenever 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel Abby gently placed her wet nose and black-and-white coat on Boyd's skin.
Abby is among the roughly 230 therapy dogs utilized by not-for-profit Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy, which was one of more than 300 exhibitors at the Arlington Heights expo.
“Rachel often tenses up, but she's very peaceful right now,” mother Janet Boyd said.
Rainbow program coordinator Susan Burrows said every year groups from Little Angels and similar facilities attend the event and make a beeline for the therapy dogs.
“People who visit with therapy dogs see a decrease in stress hormones and blood pressure and they become very relaxed,” Burrow said. “And Abby knows how she should approach everyone based on their special need.”
Patrons can also stop by more than a dozen animal rescue exhibits and hear feel-good stories about the flourishing English bulldogs, greyhounds, basset hounds and Dalmatians that used to be sickly, scared and neglected.
“I got a rescue dog three years ago and it was a wonderful decision,” said Addison resident Diane Partipilo, who went to the expo to see what latest products and trends in the animal world. “They deserve a home too.”
More than 15,000 people are expected to attend the expo, which features entertainment, hands-on attractions and the latest in pet products and services. Among the performances are the Amazing Acro-Cats, the Rock-N-Roll K-9's and the Indy Dog & Disc Club Frisbee Demo.
The event runs continues 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for children between 3 and 12 years old.
More information is at petchicago.com.