For the Dogs - Event Recap

In October one of our planners here at We've Got It! Chicago had the privilige of planning a local 2008 Pit Bull Awareness Day event on behalf of Phoenix Animal Rescue. Here is her EVENT RECAP.



Our pit-mix, Marley, is a Phoenix alumni, and we volunteer with the rescue as foster parents and helping out at the kennels. The rescue director caught wind of the fact that I was an event planner and asked me to step up to the plate. I happily obliged, as pit bulls and planning are two of my favorite things.

Pit Bull Awareness Day (PBAD) is an international event hosted locally by various rescues and pro-pit organizations. For more information on the day, please check out the official website at http://www.nationalpitbullawarenessday.com/

In 2007, Phoenix Animal Rescue hosted a very small test run of this even locally. We had about 10 volunteers with pamphlets, a couple of local journalists, a rehabilitated bait dog, and a pit bull being adopted. It was hosted at a local park with very little publicity. We had only a handful of visitors stop by (most of whom were just passing by at the park).

2008 was a drastic improvement. We had about 30 volunteers from the rescue and the local Vet School. We put together a huge day of festivities at a local veterinarian's office who is a strong advocate for the breed. The event included:

*Pit bull talent show
*Canine Good Citizen testing
*Weight-pull demo and try-outs
*Photo opps for pitties
*Microchipping booth
*AADR dog show
*Adoptable dogs
*Bake sale (for humans and dogs)
*Eight interactive booths with information and games

We spent months organizing volunteers and spreading the word. But we weren't sure what the turn-out would be. We had local journalists from two different newspapers, a news channel, and a local cable access TV show. The event was open to all ages and all well-mannered dogs (not just pits). Well, our event was a success. We estimate over 300 people and 100+ dogs visited our festivities througout the day, and we raised over $1100 for Phoenix Animal Rescue to continue doing ther part to help local pit bulls in need. We're currently seeking a larger venue for 2009, as we've seen the potential and we know that this year we'll have outgrown our space at the vet's office. We're in the early stages of planning for this year, and I'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress.

To see the local news article on the event click here.