Community Corner
Tails Wag At The Canine Wellness Fair
Pets and Owners, a Time of Learning And Affordable Health Care
Dogs and their owners took advantage of education and pet health-care opportunities at the Canine Wellness Fair. The fair was organized by Ledyard Animal Control and the Dog Scouts of America, and it ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at Ledyard High School.
The Dog Scouts are a community service organization a lot like the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. “We learn to improve the human-canine bond,” said Sheri Throop, leader of Dog Scout Troop 188. This sometimes includes teaching dogs new activities to make them better companions.
Her own dog, Lucille, paints and plays guitar and piano, she said.
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The Canine Wellness Fair, however, is a new project. The troop has volunteered at shot clinics, when Luv My Pet brought licensed veterinarians to give shots at the Waterford PETCO. “It’s a way that you can knock down some of the costs of pet ownership,” Throop said. “As we’re starting to see more incidents of rabies in the area, it’s important to protect not only the dog, but the family of the dog.”
They saw the opportunity to do even more than that, and the Canine Wellness Fair was born. “The time is now. People are more interested in learning about the health and welfare of their animals,” Throop said.
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Luv My Pet sent a team of veterinarians to the school for the day. The doctors offered $5 rabies shots. Animals could also have a microchip implanted. This chip can help owners recover lost pets. The team was kept busy well after the event ended at 2 pm.
Visitors saw demonstrations of another, less common health service: canine massage. Suzin Webb, a certified small animal massage therapist, ran a few demonstrations throughout the day.
Webb takes appointments and teaches massage workshops at My Dog’s Place, a canine daycare in Mystic. “I’ve taught probably about 150 people to do this,” she said. “Most owners think it’s the most wonderful thing in the world.”
My Dog’s Place had a table, too, advertising their daycare and many training classes.
A basket raffle was held. The baskets all had items for cats or dogs. Many also contained gift cards donated by local businesses. Snacks were available outside, and tables sold dog biscuits, bandanas, and T-shirts for humans.
There were also cats and kittens up for adoption. The high school managed to find homes for all but 2 of its kittens. Ledyard Animal Control brought other cats as well.
