Benton County will roll out the red carpet for four-legged residents and their families on Friday, Oct. 3 with its inaugural Dog PAWlooza, an event that promises a tail-wagging hub of pet services, food and fun.
“This is the first time we’re doing this and we don’t know how it’s going to go,” said James Morales, director of Benton County’s Records and Elections Department. “We’re hoping the community embraces it and comes in and enjoys the environment.”
The 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. event at the county’s Kalapuya Building in west Corvallis represents more than just a fun afternoon for dogs and their humans — it’s designed as a comprehensive resource hub for responsible pet ownership. At its heart is something that some dog owners in Oregon may not realize they need — proper licensing.
“Benton County has one of the more robust licensing programs in the state because we have a county code that requires our local veterinarians to inform us when they’ve vaccinated dogs,” Morales said. “They provide us with that information and then we’re able to contact those dog owners … and send them a friendly reminder or notice if their dog is not licensed and that it is a requirement.”
At PAWlooza, dog owners can handle the state-required licensing on the spot by bringing proof of their pet’s current rabies vaccination. Those with spayed or neutered dogs can present documentation for a discounted fee.
The Kalapuya Building is located at 4500 SW Research Way.
Beyond the licensing piece, the vendor lineup reads like a directory of pet care from Philomath’s Ark Animal Hospital and mobile-based Northwest Spay and Neuter for medical needs to Puffy Paws Pet Salon for grooming and Root ‘n Round Farm for mobile nail clipping.
Training and boarding services will be represented by Love of Paws, which offers agility and obedience training, Brown Dog Boarding and Philomath Puppy Park, a rentable dog park concept.
“We’re bringing in all these different services just to try and help dog owners become familiar with what services are available for them in this area,” Morales said. “Besides just focusing on dog licensing, we want to try and make it like a one-stop shop … maybe even provide an opportunity for them to adopt a dog.”
Heartland Humane Society will be among the participating organizations. The Corvallis-based shelter and care facility adopts out dogs, cats and other pets.
The human attendees won’t be forgotten either with snack options that will include The Corn Dog Company, Rosa’s Churros, 3 Potato More and Vintage Vibes Soda Shop. King Whippy will offer treats suitable for both species. Maru’s K9 Treatery will also be on site.
The Corvallis Police Department’s animal control division will participate and there’s even a possibility of a K-9 officer making an appearance, though Morales noted that hasn’t been confirmed.
“Most of the credit for getting this event organized and planned truly goes to Kim (Emge),” said Morales, referring to a county senior deputy clerk. “The rest of the team really has rallied around her to help bring this event to the community.”
The department team as a whole worked out the details and came up with its unique name.
“It’s been kind of an eye opener for us here because we’re looking at websites just trying to see what’s here,” Morales said. “So, we’ve been reaching out to a lot of businesses trying to see if there’s any interest in participating. We’ve had a pretty good response, so we’re pretty happy about that.”
Success for the inaugural event, according to Morales, would mean simply reaching people and connecting them with available services.
“I think it’ll be pretty neat if somebody — especially somebody who’s pretty new to the area — wants to learn more about some of these services that are out there,” he said.
The timing of future PAWloozas will depend partly on the county’s electoral calendar.
“Next year, we’ll be in the middle of the general election and if we’re trying to do this simultaneously, that might be kind of challenging for our small team,” Morales said. “But we’re really excited to be able to do this maybe in the odd years.”
Dogs will be required to be on a leash. Waste stations will be provided — and for the humans, the Kalapuya Building and its restroom facilities will remain open until 6:30 p.m.
