Dog & Cat Expo 2013

We took Kitchie to SMX last Saturday (June 15) for the Dog & Cat Expo 2013 -- her very first trip outside Muntinlupa, and also the first pet-related event that Lou and I attended! Really, this was our first time to mingle with such a huge crowd of dogs and dog lovers combined, but we all nailed it! Being sniffed by other dogs, and being touched by strangers were just -- according to Kitchie -- "pssh, usual gestures of fun, you know, no biggie." haha!

This expo was organized by Pet Express, an SM-owned one-stop-shop for Dog and Cat lovers. The event was apparently a promotion of the shop goodies, and also a chance for pet-related brands to showcase their products. But they also filled the event with other activities, such as grooming services, free check-ups, talks, and other interactive activities! And so we 3 enjoyed every bit of the expo, even though we weren't really there to shop. haha! Just seeing different kinds of dogs was enough reason. The excitement in dogs and owners alike was just so contagious! :)

Kitchie's favorite (or rather, MY FAVORITE. haha!), is this booth of Alpo. Look, they have a CANINE CAFE where pets can dine-in FOR FREE! It's complete with menu boards (for the owners of course haha), and cushions where owners and pets can hangout! Plus, they give "to-go" samples, and bibs! awww ♥! hahaha! Since Kitchie has been an Alpo dog ever since (yun lang talaga ang hiyang nya!), I didn't have to think twice in getting their samples. Kitchie enjoyed her beef and lamb dry dog food, and the dine-in experience! That served as her merienda for the day - ubos na ubos!

Samples were all over the expo actually. Since Kitchie's tummy is not really used to sudden food shifts, we just gave her a few biscuits of non-Alpo brands. She gobbled every freebie we gave her, so I'm guessing these free treats are really yummy for the dog's taste! Haay, these samples are really colorful, and yummy-looking! too bad they're only for dogs. haha!

We then attended a short talk on Clicker Training, where Hunter the Golden Retriever was used as a model/demo dog. We enjoyed this dog's cleverness. :)

CARA's booth was one of Lou's favorites -- They sell shirts and other accessories, to help in the rehabilitation of rescued pitbulls. The advocacy is really encouraging, in fact, Lou and I now dream of adopting one pitbull from this org someday, when we get a real house or at least a condo that allows pets. If we decide to purchase a new place sometime soon -- even without a baby yet -- the reason would probably this! haha! (Can you see that shirt print saying, "I am a lover, not a fighter" -- I love this. This is really really true. Pitbulls shouldn't be dog fighters!!! So we got two shirts ...blue and green of course. hahaha!)

Our MOST FAVORITE PART IS THIS. Great Image had a studio setup for pet pictorials -- anyone can get this for a minimum donation of P50 to CARA. For me, that was the expo's BEST deal!

And so even if the line was long and given that a single pet shot may take a lot of time (parang baby kasi, mahirap picturan ang pets esp pag malikot!), we donated and patiently waited for our turn. Surprisingly, ours took just a few seconds! Photographers loved Kitchie for behaving like a pro! And look, she knows how to smile!!! =)

The first day of expo was capped off with an activity that almost everyone waited for - THE PACK WALK, or the parade of dogs around Mall of Asia. Everyone was really happy - dogs, owners, and mall goers. :)

Not in the photos: We also joined the "biggest dog" contest ...where Kitchie was the smallest one! It still makes me laugh up till now (kapalan lang ng mukha! hahaha!), and we also got a free photobooth shots by buying a few air fresheners. haha!

Just one note though... It was called Dog & Cat Expo, but there was no single activity for the Cats! I know cats do not really mingle and interact as much as dogs do, but I believe -- with creative pet lovers' minds -- there could still be cat-related activities such as a photo contests, or talks on cat hygiene, etc. Otherwise they should have called the event just "Dog Expo" right?! :D

But anyway, all in all, I think it's been a success just on its first day! Now I'm looking forward to next year's Expo, knowing Kitchie can be really calm and well behaved when it comes to these events! Aaah, I'm so proud of her! :)

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We were all dead tired by the time we rode the car back home (including Kitchie!), but we were really happy. Indeed, it was a day of PAW-someness, no doubt about it:

Before EXPO:

After EXPO:

HAHA!