Mon Valley Paws to host Paws in the Park Saturday

Mon Valley Paws will host its annual Paws in the Park Saturday at the Monessen City Park walking track.

It serves as a fundraiser for the organization, which helps four-legged friends in the Mon Valley. Randy Marino, creator of Mon Valley Paws, encourages everyone to come out and have fun.

“I think we have something to fit the interests of everyone, young, old, pet owner, non-pet owner,” Marino said. “I think everybody can find something of interest on this day at the park.”

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a $10 fee per pet. The first 100 people to sign up will get a free gift bag.

Anyone bringing pet food and supplies will be entered to win a gift bag from Pet Supplies Plus in Belle Vernon.

This is the fourth year of Paws in the Park, and Marino looks forward to hosting it every year. Money raised from the event goes toward an emergency fund and other programs organized by Mon Valley Paws.

“We have an emergency fund for people whose pets get hurt and they don’t have the money to provide for that medical care,” he said, “and we do a senior citizen grant because the cost of taking care of pets is getting, you know, is escalating like everything else.”

The schedule will include:

• Yoga at 10:30 a.m.

• K9 demonstration at 11:30 a.m. with a pet contest right after.

• Blessing of the animals at 1 p.m.

There will be a DJ with music, basket raffles, samples from Li’l Dog Moonshine, vendors for pets and non-pets, food trucks and a kid zone with face painting and a balloon artist.

Marino added that there will be many categories pet owners can participate in.

“The pet contest, we have the wildest wag of tails, the best vocal performance, most original, pets with the most holidays, which would be the oldest pet, best rescue pet, pets that look like their owner, things like that.”

Pet owners can register at www.monvalleypaws. com/2024-walk.