Windermere Pet Fest set for Saturday

The town square in downtown Windermere is about to be transformed into a pet wonderland.

The fourth annual Windermere Pet Fest is hosted by the Animal Clinic of Windermere and promises to offer a fun time for every member of the family.

There will be a kid zone with games, face painting and no-bake- treat making for both dogs and their humans. 

Children will also have the opportunity to be “mini vets.”

“Kids can dress up as doctors and treat teddy bears,” Animal Clinic of Windermere Operations Manager Nati Wiggins said. “They can also do belly surgeries on the teddy bears to find candies and prizes inside. They will also learn about the things animals can’t eat.”

Attendees can expect a doggy fun zone with an obstacle course, doggy musical chairs and a bone-and-spoon race. The obstacle course gets busy quickly, Wiggins said, so the humans are encouraged to get their number early if they’d like their dogs to run the course.

There will also be a K-9 demonstration held three times during the day.

“The officer gets thrown down by the dog,” Wiggins said. “People really like those demonstrations. It catches everyone’s attention.”

A raffle will take place at the event, and all the proceeds will be distributed to different rescue centers in the area.

Some rescue groups will also make an appearance at the event, including Homeward Bound Horses and Hounds Animal Rescue  Inc., Candy’s Cats and The Pixel Fund.

Wiggins said this year’s Windermere Pet Fest is the largest yet.

“We had to add an hour to accommodate everything,” Wiggins said. “It was until 2 p.m. last year — it’s until 3 p.m. this year. We expect to be even bigger next year.”

For those looking for a variety of pet products, 70 vendors will make an appearance this year, including Woof Gang Bakery and Pawsitively Pure Dog Food. And for the humans, Accents by Renee will have its own selection for bipeds.

There will be food trucks selling seafood, Cuban food, Brazilian bites, snow cones and lemonade, while the Animal Clinic of Windermere will be offering free tag engravings for everybody who attends. 

All pets are welcome as long as they’re comfortable in crowded public spaces.