In The Media                                                                                                                

Social animals flock to Pet Expo

2004 Pet Expo
Vancouver Sun, 15 March 2004, Vancouver Sun, by Amy O'Brian

PEPPER DOES WANT A CRACKER: Pepper,

a sun conure, shows his brilliant plumage with

owner Cindy Koch of Greyhaven Exotic Bird

Sanctuary at the Pet Expo, Sunday in the

Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre

Photo- Peter Battiston

Gathering looked like an experiment in cross-species socializing

It was a gathering that would have made Noah proud.

For two days at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, cat people put aside their differences with dog people, reptilian fanatics mingled with avian aficionados, and at one point Sunday morning, a Chihuahua rubbed noses with a Saint Bernard.

Vancouver's first Pet Expo looked a bit like an experiment in cross-species socializing where -- at least for the weekend -- everyone was on their best behaviour.

Aside from the high-pitched chatter of the cockatiels and the odd yip from a terrier, it was a peaceful affair where merchants sold their pet-specific wares and services, while the die-hard do-gooders did their best to educate humans on being responsible pet owners.

Olga Betts held down the fort at the Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy table, where she lured in passers-by with stuffed toy animals and then told them why they should consider "the overlooked pet."

Betts' group is in its first year and she and her colleagues take great pride in being the "only registered society for rabbits west of Ontario."

The group works to place injured or sick rabbits in foster homes and does its best to find homes for the rabbits that are taken to the SPCA.

"They make fabulous house pets, but people often don't think of them as pets," Betts said.

"They're excellent pets for working people."

The soft, long-eared mammals are most active in the morning and evening and often don't cause the same eye-itching and nose-running in people who are allergic to cats and dogs, Betts said.

However, the rabbit lover cautions anyone considering bringing a hopper into the home to do their research, be prepared for the responsibilities of having a pet and get the new pet neutered or spayed.

"Rabbits live to breed, so you calm all sorts of behaviours when you neuter and spay," she said.

With Easter just around the corner, Betts worries that many people will pick up a bunny on impulse and lose interest in it by the time the chocolate eggs have been devoured.

Even though the rescue group already has about 25 rabbits it needs to find homes for, Betts would rather people contact her than open the hutch door into Stanley Park or Jericho Park.

"It's a really unkind thing to let your rabbit loose in a park," she said. "It's like a domestic cat. They don't know where to drink, where to eat ... a lot of them die."

The folks a few tables down at the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary have a similar message: Don't think you're doing your bird a favour by letting it loose.

Melanie Walker, president of the sanctuary, and Carol Boutilier, a director, take in between 100 and 175 budgies, cockatoos, conures, macaws, lovebirds and other exotic birds each year.

But they don't adopt them out to just anyone.

The sanctuary's adoption policy is rigorous and includes interviews, home visits, follow-up visits, and the right to take a bird out of a home at any time.

Boutilier and Walker say the lengthy process is necessary because many birds will live for up to 60 years and they want to ensure the bird won't have to move again in a year.

"We once had a woman who really wanted a blue bird to go with her decor," Boutilier said.

That woman did not get what she was looking for from the sanctuary, but there were plenty of accessories and toys at the Pet Expo that likely would have pleased her.

Colour-coordinated doggie outfits, monster-sized dog houses (complete with Doric columns and shuttered windows), and luxury cat furniture were par for the course at the show.

And ticket-holders were given a free copy of the sleek, glossy Vancouver-based fashion mag Modern Dog, which is replete with Vogue-like photos of stylish dog owners and their dressed-up pets.

Despite all the pet-centric products and booths, though, guests were not allowed to bring their pets.