Venezia: Pet expo at fairgrounds has changed lives

The America’s Family Pet Expo returns to the Orange County fairgrounds Friday to Sunday.

This annual event has been enjoyed by tens of thousands who love animals.

It’s a wonderful place for children to learn about birds, reptiles, dogs, cats, fish and more.

Doug Poindexter, president of the World Pet Assn., producer of the event, told me he can’t believe the expo has been around for 26 years.

“I’m old,” he joked.

Poindexter started as a vendor at the show years ago and is proud to lead this 60-year-old organization.

“Every year it’s so much fun for me,” he said. “We work hard all year-round on this show. When the public comes in, and the kids see animals they’ve never seen before, you see them light up.”

Showing kids how much fun pets can be and what life they bring to a family is what motivates Poindexter and his staff.

When we spoke, he shared heartwarming stories of witnessing how animals have touched the hearts and souls of those they’ve come into contact with at the show.

Several years ago a woman in a wheelchair held a bird and started talking to it. Her husband’s eyes filled with tears as he explained that she hadn’t spoken for five years.

And watching a Clydesdale walk up to a handicapped child and lay its head on the kid’s chest was a moment Poindexter will always remember.

“There was such joy in this child’s face,” he said.

So what’s in store for audiences at this year’s show?

Poindexter tells me that the cat show will be bigger. He’s also excited to have the dog agility team back after a nearly decadelong hiatus.

New this year: racing pigs.

Hogs and dogs will race, he says, but not each other.

And the ever-popular free-flight bird show is back, as are the “Splash Dogs.”

But for me, the most important part of the Pet Expo is what it does for agencies that rescue dogs and cats.

About 70% of the booths at the expo are dedicated to these agencies, Poindexter explained.

Last year alone, more than 700 animals found forever homes as a direct result of the expo.

Poindexter said it’s important to remember that agencies have their own rules and standards for adoption. Some animals may be adopted on the spot, while other agencies may require waiting periods.

At the very minimum, people interested in a particular animal should walk around for at least an hour and then come back to the agency’s booth, he said.

With the pet’s best interest at heart, agencies want folks to understand the enormous responsibility that comes with pet adoption.

Impulse “buys” are discouraged, though that’s exactly what Stasha was for me in 2012.

I’d walked into the Pet Expo for the first time out of sheer curiosity and never imagined it would change my life, but it did.

Today Stasha is my constant companion and well known at dog-friendly eateries in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Las Vegas.

My fur baby has everything from a pet stroller to fancy harnesses. The expo is a great place to find unique pet-related products.

It’s also a breeding ground for entrepreneurs like Carole George.

Her business, Georgy Girl, manufactures and sells cashmere hoodies and high-fashion, jewel-encrusted harnesses for dogs.

George tells me her three Pomeranians inspired her line since she wanted she wanted fashion to meet function.

“We started with cotton/spandex tank tops and fleece hoodies, decorating them with custom crystals and heat appliques,” she said. “I had always wanted to make beautiful leather harnesses that did not choke the dog and looked like a gorgeous handbag or saddlery with great stitching.”

George added glitz to the harnesses. She sells her products online and in select pet boutiques. She’s even in high-end leather boutiques for people — including West Coast Leather in San Francisco, where I’ve shopped for years.

She tells me she’s excited to be a first-time exhibitor at the expo and hopes it will help to develop and expand business contacts.

George’s three Poms will be modeling in her booth, No. 1046, and she’ll be offering a 10% to 20% discount on selected products as a show special.

America’s Family Pet Expo is billed as a “furtastic weekend full of four-legged entertainment,” and Stasha and I highly recommend it.

General admission is $13. The cost is $8 for ages 6 to 12 and $11 for people 60 and older.

Children under 5 are admitted for free, as are active and retired military with identification.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The OC Fair and Event Center is located at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Parking is $7.

Kindly leave all pets at home. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.PetExpoOC.org.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at [email protected].