By Alana Mitchelson
HUNDREDS of animal lovers with their pets of all shapes and sizes congregated in Pakenham for the annual Pet Expo on Saturday.
The event attracted owners with pets of all sorts including miniature ponies, goats, cattle, sheep, chickens and dogs, even ferrets.
Pakenham Produce and Saddlery general manager Kalinda Knox said the free family fun day was an opportunity for the company to give back to the community.
“We had so many people bring in their pets and there were many ‘out of the ordinary’ animals this year, like ferrets, and someone brought a beautiful Charolais white cow,” she said.
Best dressed on the day was a Pomeranian called Mouse who wore a pink princess outfit, while the prize for the best trick went to an Australian shepherd.
“He ran between her legs and did all of these cute tricks,“ Ms Knox said.
“It looked like a performance straight out of Australia’s Got Talent. They were really showing off.”
Each pair won hampers with a selection of Pakenham Produce goodies, treats and toys for their dogs.
Throughout the expo, face painting was available for the kids and the Pakenham Scout Club ran a sausage sizzle.
Dogs had the chance to put their obedience skills to the test, taking part in an obstacle course race involving chasing a ball, jumping on a box, walking up a ramp and balancing along a seesaw.
Many local clubs and services featured at the expo including the Sayda Hearts and Pet Services, Berwick Obediency Dog Club, Bluey and Alice Bunny Refuge, and the Woofa Wagon raised awareness of the importance of flee treatment.
The Pakenham Produce and Saddlery Pet Expo went from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 8 October at its Bormar Drive site in Pakenham.
