City residents will get to learn about some tiny beagles next weekend as part of the Edmonton Pet Expo.
Some 13,000 people are expected to attend the 14th annual Edmonton Pet Expo this Jan. 24 and 25 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The show features about 70 different pet breeders and organizations and about a zillion cats, dogs, birds, lizards, reptiles, goats, ponies and horses.
The one thing you shouldn't find at the expo is your own pet – the organizers want you to leave those at home.
"It would be the same as people bringing their motorcycle to the motorcycle show," explains event organizer Louise Reinich – it's not safe. All pets at the show need special training in order to handle being around large crowds of people and animals.
About five per cent of guests and five to 10 of the exhibitors at the expo last year were from the St. Albert region, Reinich says.
Two of them were Max and Heather Welshman of Sturgeon County's Countryside Pocket Beagles, who have attended every expo since 1994.
"If you're a pet owner, there's all kind of resources there for anything you can look for," Max says, when asked why he keeps coming back – from nutrition, to vet-care to training and more.
"You get a lot of valuable information."
Welshman says he'll be at the show this year to talk about pocket beagles – a breed of compact beagle that was brought back from the brink of extinction 25 years ago.
"They're natural companion dogs," he says, and are a good fit for both young and old couples.
"They don't need to be brought out and run like crazy for six hours."
The expo will feature several panels of local experts available to answer any questions about pet care for free, Reinich says. Also at this year's show will be Chantel Schmidt of Equine Reflection, who will demonstrate how she uses horses to help people improve their self image, the Canadian Search and Disaster Dog Association and their search-and-rescue dogs, and the Canadian Rabbit Hopping Club, which will send bunnies leaping over tiny fences as part of a rabbit agility course.
The big message of the show is to do your research before you get a pet, Reinich says.
"Know what it costs and know what it takes."
Owning ownership
Travis Grant of the Edmonton Humane Society says getting a pet is a serious commitment, as most live for about 15 years.
"You've got to commit to providing care, food, shelter, and love for more than a decade."
A pocket beagle might cost you $1,000 initially plus about $200 a year in vet bills, Welshman notes – more if the dog gets sick or injured.
You also have to consider food, kennel care, and training, Reinich says.
"Do I have children at home?" she continues. The temperament of your pet has to match your lifestyle, and not all dogs are kid-friendly.
Many pet owners who don't do this research get in over their head and drop their pets in the country, Grant says.
"If you take your dog out to the country, you're basically playing roulette with your dog's health and happiness."
The Humane Society lets owners turn in their pets, no questions asked, if they can no longer care for them, Grant says. Those pets then receive medical treatment and training before being put up for adoption.
Reinich says she's glad to see the industry promoting proper pet ownership. Many stores now stock only rescue animals and require interviews before they allow an adoption.
"What it says to me is that we recognize that we as humans are part of the problem."
Tickets are $11 to $13. Visit petexpo.ca for details.
