19th ANNUAL AMERICA’S FAMILY PET EXPO PLAYS HOST TO THOUSANDS OF ANIMAL LOVERS
World’s Largest Pet and Pet Product Show Continues Mission of
Educating the Community on Responsible Pet Care
MONROVIA, Calif. (April 28, 2008) – America’s Family Pet Expo, produced by World Wide Pet Industry Association, Inc.® (WWPIA), drew a crowd of thousands to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., April 11-13. Now in its 19th year, the show continues to be a huge attraction for pet lovers in Southern California. Despite record setting heat, high gas prices and the effects of a sluggish economy, the show exceeded show organizers’ expectations. The event prides itself on educating show-goers about the commitment and responsibility that go hand-in-hand with pet care.
Throughout the three-day event, America’s Family Pet Expo was responsible for the adoption of 522 pets from local animal shelters. With more than 100 dog and cat breeds onsite and pet experts speaking on topics such as training your pets and choosing the proper pet for your lifestyle, the Pet Expo continually provides an educational platform that consumers of all ages can enjoy.
Doug Poindexter, president of WWPIA, considers pet adoptions and access to pet experts an important contribution to community. “Every year America’s Family Pet Expo provides the opportunity for hundreds of animals to go home with new families. It also provides educational elements so that the new pet owner goes home knowing how to properly care for their pet,” Poindexter said.
All of the show space reserved for animal breeds, non-profits, adoption agencies and hobbyist groups was either donated or offered at reduced prices on behalf of WWPIA to ensure consumers had access to a wide variety of breeds and experts. In addition to thousands of breeds and species of animals, hundreds of vendors were on hand selling the latest pet products on the market.
The OC Fair & Event Center was also packed with special animal guests including Gibson, “The World’s Tallest Dog,” and Muttley Crew canine agility dogs. Special visitors included Animal Planet hosts Dina Zaphiris and Matt Gallant as well as Pet Talk Radio’s Harrison Forbes and pet expert Warren Eckstein from KRLA Radio. Television production crews from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and NBC Universal television were onsite to capture footage from the event for future broadcast shows.
WWPIA also used America’s Family Pet Expo as an opportunity to announce its “Canine Runway:” Hosted through the Web site PetSource.org, Canine Runway kicks off “The Search for America’s Most Paw-pular Pooch” through a dog modeling competition set to take place throughout Southern California this summer.
Ralph’s was the presenting sponsor for the event for the third year running, while PETCO and the PETCO Foundation sponsored the adoption tent. The Cat Show sponsor was The Iams Company. Silver sponsors included Petsource.org, Breeder’s Choice, and Canidae Pet Foods. Bronze sponsors included Natural Balance Pet Food, Jarden Consumer Solutions, The Pet Care Trust, and PIJAC. Additional sponsors were BowTie Inc., Cat Fancy/Dog Fancy, JeffersPet.com, Seachem/Jurassi Pet, Veterinary Pet Insurance, Shell Vacations Club, Oxbow Animal Health, Nutro Pet Foods, Petsmart, Pacific Monarch Resorts, Worldmark by Wyndham, Grand Pacific Resorts, and Marineland.
Other sponsored activities were Splash Dogs, Police & Search Dog Demonstrations, Dog Training with Renee, Extreme Doggie Makeovers, Parade of Adoptable Darlings, Joe Krathwohl Free Flight Bird Show, Jurasssic Party and the Kids Aquarium Decorating Contest.
For more information or to schedule an interview with a WWPIA representative, please call Formula at (310) 578-7050. ABOUT WORLD WIDE PET INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, INC.®World Wide Pet Industry Association, Inc.® (WWPIA) is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. As society’s “humanization” of pets grows stronger, WWPIA knows it is important to inform and educate the general public to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. WWPIA plays host to America’s Family Pet Expo, the largest consumer show in the world, twice each year in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Novi, Mich. The organization also holds SuperZoo (www.superzoo.org), an annual pet industry trade show that showcases a comprehensive collection of exhibits and offers a variety of informative educational seminars known as SuperZoo University. In addition, WWPIA has developed a Web site for both the industry and the consumer called PetSource.org (www.petsource.org). This new Web site is a one-stop resource for information on pets of all kinds. For more information on WWPIA, please visit www.wwpia.org.
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