Temple Shalom of Central Florida will host its first Blessing of the Pets and Pet Expo on Sunday Jan. 9 outdoors at Temple Shalom in Oxford.
Susan Feinberg, event coordinator, said she has wanted to create this event for years to recognize the love that the tri-county community has for their pets and raise awareness of adopting and rescuing pets to bring joy to families.
The event centers around a Blessing of Pets conducted by Rabbi Zev Sonnenstein of Temple Shalom of Central Florida.
“He is a pet lover currently living with six dogs and has never met a pet that he doesn’t greet as a family member,” Feinberg said.
A personalized blessing certificate will be available for all registered guests at tscfl.org.
Your Humane Society SPCA has been involved in the event planning and support. Claudia Labbe of the humane society has helped to organize the event which will benefit her organization and other area animal support organizations.
Area rescues and care centers for dogs, cats, bunnies and birds will introduce their organizations and have pets up for adoption. The Therapeutic Riding Horses will be showcased as to how they are trained and maintained to work with their handlers and their riders. Scheduled entertainment will include the Sumter County Sheriff K-9 Unit and the Dynamic Dog Performance Drill Team. Alan Ross will be the emcee and DJ.
A photo booth will be available for owners and pets to get a keepsake of the day. Proceeds from a cash raffle, Muzzle Tov Auction and the pet photo booth will be donated to the participating Temple Shalom Charities and Rescues at the event.
For more information or to donate to the event, go to tscfl.org or write to pets@tscfl.org.
The rain date for the event is Monday Jan. 10.
