Melbourne Dog Lovers Festival 10th birthday paw-ty
The Melbourne Dog Lovers Festival is celebrating its 10th birthday on October 26 and 27, relocating to its biggest stage yet at Melbourne Showgrounds.
Across the two-day festival, Melburnians will be able to enjoy an extensive line-up of events and activities dedicated to everyone’s four-legged best friends.
The program will feature exciting new attractions, such as the Dog Friendly Travel Hub for all your dog-friendly travel needs, the Optimum DOGWALK showcasing talented dancing dogs alongside a fashion parade for pets and their owners, and the competition for Australia’s Best Doggleganger, seeking out the ultimate human-canine lookalikes in the country.
“I am thrilled to celebrate our 10th birthday with a move to the Melbourne Showgrounds,” festival founder Jason Humphris said.
Expanding to this venue feels like the perfect next step as we continue to grow, and with a new festival line-up of doggie entertainment, education zones and talks from Aussie pet experts. We cannot wait to share our birthday with all dog owners.
The program will see the return of favourites including the VitaPet Arena, where Farmer Dave will present thrilling high-jumping dogs and mini dog races.
Festivalgoers will also have the chance to interact with dogs of various breeds at the Lyka Pat-A-Pooch zone and connect with adoption specialists in the Adoption Zone.
A major highlight will be the ADVANCE Breed Showcase presented by DOGS VIC, allowing visitors to meet more than 800 dogs from A to Z for an unforgettable dog breed experience.
“Every year we are looking to the needs and wants of dog parents and the canine community to see how we can help. Whether that may be new ways to spoil their pups, advice on bringing in a new dog into the family, how best to take them on holidays or even the next steps on adopting a new best friend – this event is where Melburnians can find the answer,” Mr Humphris said.
“We have even helped find forever homes for 2000-plus dogs over the years through our Adoption Zones. We can’t wait to see what the next ten years looks like.”
The Melbourne Cat Lovers Festival will also be taking place next door on the same weekend, making a return after the resounding success of its 2022 event. •