It’s the paw-fect event for animal lovers and pets alike: the Jingle Paws Holiday Market is coming back on December 1.
The second-year event will be run by Paws on Patrol Stratford, who also hosted the event last year. Owner Tyler Jouwsma says the idea for the market came to him when he noticed that many families need extra support when it comes to feeding their pets, so he established a pet pantry drive which aims to keep pets in their homes.
“We partner with the House of Blessings,” Jouwsma said. “They have let us know that 70 per cent of their clients also have pets, so we make sure to donate to them. I also wanted to raise awareness about those struggling to feed their pets, so I came up with the market idea. The market is free, but we accept pet necessities, gift cards or cash donations which will go back to the House of Blessings.”
Last year’s event was well attended by the community and their pets.
“It was phenomenal, we had over 1000 people attend,” said Jouwsma. “We also had over 350 dogs, and even four cats. We have over 800 pounds of food that we were able to donate to the House of Blessings. We also raised over $2,000 in cash and gift cards in four hours.”
The hope is to double those numbers this year, according to Jouwsma. This year's event is taking place December 1, at 90 Dunlop Place at Evermore Compassionate Aftercare. Jouwsma, says the business is a great supporter of the market.
“The owner is a fantastic business owner in the pet industry,” he said. “We are having it at her business to help shine the spotlight on it, and allow more people to come and understand what she offers.”
The Jingle Paws Holiday Market is a pet-friendly and family-friendly event, but you don’t have to have a pet to attend. This year’s market which runs from 2-6 p.m. features a high number of local vendors and businesses.
“There are up to 45 vendors, some pet themed and some not,” said Jouwsma. “All are locally based in Stratford. We will have food trucks, live music, a meet and greet with Santa which includes pictures, fresh cut Christmas trees, and animal communicator and so much more.
A full list of things being offered at this year's Jingle Paws Holiday Market can be found at the Facebook event page found here.
