It was standing room only at the 28th Annual Expo, held at the OC Fair & Event Center, April 28-30
ORANGE COUNTY, CA – (May 9, 2017) Official attendance numbers have been reported and show organizers enthusiastically report that more than 47,000 guests visited the America’s Family Pet Expo (AFPE), held April 22-30, 2017
at the OC Fair & Event Center. In addition, 510 dogs, cats – and even a few rabbits and guinea pigs – were adopted into “forever homes” from AFPE’s Southern California animal rescue partner organizations.
Additionally, approximately 159 of those adoptable animals received complimentary grooming from California groomers
who volunteer their time.
“As the organizer, our favorite part of the Pet Expo is how we help educate the consumer about responsible pet care,” said Doug Poindexter, President of the World Pet Association. “We donate a majority of the booth space to organizations so they may teach the public about their specific species and what is needed to maintain it so it does not end up in a shelter.”
More than 465 exhibitors at the Expo showcased the latest in pet products and industry trends. Standout items included embroidered dog collars, unique jellyfish home aquariums, sleek cat furniture, architecturally-inspired custom dog houses, and must-have accessories such as jeweled dog collars, colorful cat bow-ties to raw dog cooking demonstrations. Coupled with nonstop animal entertainment from Cook’s Racing Hogs and Dogs, Jump! The Ultimate Dog Stunt Show, and the Surfing Cat, Ricky, catching waves on Lucy’s Gnarly Wavemaker, the Pet Expo once again defined itself as a one-stop “Petstravanganza” for consumers.
“This is the West Coast debut for many products that aren’t available yet at retail locations,” said Poindexter. “Which is why pet lovers travel from throughout Southern California to visit the show year after year. We listen to customer feedback, and register exhibitors who represent what’s on trend in the marketplace.”
America’s Family Pet Expo would like to thank our official sponsors for their generous support. Gold Sponsors: Blue Buffalo, Canidae Pet Foods, Catit, Dr. Elsey’s Cat Products, Red Barn Pet Products, The International Cat Association; Silver Sponsors: BowWow Dog Houses, JustFoodForDogs, Pets in the Classroom, Seresto; Bronze Sponsors – Aquatropic, Aqueon, Banfield Pet Hospital, CaribSea, Coastal Pet Products, Fluval, Grizzly Pet Products, Hikari, Jeffers Pet, Natural Balance Pet Foods, Tetra, Wet Okole Hawaii.
Plans are already underway for the 29th America’s Family Pet Expo, April 27-29, 2018 at the OC Fair & Event Center. For more information, contact the World Pet Association at (626) 447-2222.
The America’s Family Pet Expo is created, produced and managed by World Pet Association, Inc., a 66-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting responsible pet care.
