Pet adoptions, food trucks, Easter Bunny visits, face painting, vendors, a photo booth and more family-friendly pet fun are on tap for March 27 when the Farmers Market Hub will host Pawdi Gras 22 from noon – 4 p.m. at the Jerusalem Shrine Center in Destrehan.
The center is located at 1940 Ormond Boulevard. All proceeds from the event will benefit local animal rescues and help the Jerusalem Shriners rebuild from Hurricane Ida. Participating in Pawdi Gras will be the St. Charles Parish Animal Shelter, Take Paws Rescue, Jefferson Protection Animal Welfare Services (JPAWS), Howlin’ Woof Society and Turning Rescues Into Pets (TRIP).
“Hopefully it’ll draw some people out on a Sunday afternoon to adopt some dogs and get out some awareness on the importance of adoption and fostering,” Vicki Johnson-Cain, a Destrehan resident and event organizer, said of Pawdi Gras.
There is a $1 gate fee for the event, and children under 10 will be admitted for free. At 2 p.m. there will be a $10 an entry pet costume contest.
Johnson-Cain said she hopes the event also drives home the importance of keeping animals healthy through vaccinations.
“There’s a huge need in the community for people to spay and neuter their animals. There are more animals than there are homes … thousands of healthy puppies are getting euthanized,” she said. “These animals end up in this situation not due to any fault of their own. They have been failed by humans. We have to do better and be more responsible pet owners by spay and neutering and vaccinating our pets.”
She added that there is another issue that is contributing to high shelter numbers.
“During the COVID shut down people were adopting puppies and kittens in mass quantities to keep them company while they were stuck home and now that things are starting to open up the numbers of owner surrenders that ‘don’t have the time” for their pets anymore is unbelievable,” Johnson-Cain said. “They surrender to shelters they say to give them a better life and the sad reality is that some of those pets will never make it out alive.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Eventbrite.com and search “Pawdi Gras 22.”
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