Huntley Pawfest connects shelter dogs past and present with community

Mazie, a border collie mix dog, was enjoying Pawfest with her family Saturday at Deicke Park in Huntley.

She once stayed at Huntley-based Animal House Shelter, which puts on Pawfest, but was adopted by the Ventouras family of Woodstock a few years ago. The family has enjoyed her company since.

“She’s brought a lot of laughter” and joy, Joanne Ventouras said.

When Mazie was adopted, the family was going through some difficult times. “She lifted our spirits,” Ventouras said.

Mazie enjoys watching TV with her family; some of her favorite things to watch include “The Three Stooges,” anime and anything with animals, the family said.

Ventouras said Mazie originally was adopted by a different family, but was brought back to the shelter. When Mazie became available, the Ventouras family adopted her shortly afterward.

It was “meant to be,” Ventouras said, adding “she’s part of the family.”

In addition to dogs soaking up the sun, vendors sold dog-themed treats and dog-themed merchandise. Pawfest also featured live music, food trucks and a space for pets to receive low-cost vaccinations.

Lisa Shade was selling dog food and treats for the first time at Pawfest through her business, Bredwell. She said she saw some regular customers, but “met a lot of new people.”

Some of the dog food items were inspired by current events, including “Christmas in July” and the Olympics.

Nancy Blaz, the proprietor of Reclaim Frame Designs, had dog-themed picture frames for sale that featured a clip for photos and a hinge to stand on. Pictures of dogs available for adoption at Animal House were clipped on the frames, Blaz said.

Some of Animal House’s dogs up for adoption were available for the public to meet.

MaryJane Ring, a volunteer at Animal House, was with some of the dogs waiting to find a forever home Saturday.

“We want to find them all homes,” she said.

Ring said a woman said she was going to the shelter and had expressed interest in Maya, one of the dogs at Pawfest.

While it helps the dogs to reacclimate to being around people and the public when they attend events such as Pawfest, an outing once led to a dog’s adoption.

While the dogs were visiting The Fountains in Crystal Lake, one of the dogs fell in love with a resident “and vice versa,” Ring said. The son of the resident adopted the dog, and both come to visit the resident.

“It worked out,” Ring said.

Pawfest originally took place at the Animal House Shelter, but has outgrown the space over the years. It has been at Deicke Park since 2019, Pawfest coordinator Cindy Wigdahl said. She added that, “it takes a village” to put on events such as Pawfest.

Wigdahl talked about the shelter’s expansion, currently underway. Among the projects in the expansion is an in-house clinic.

Currently, Animal House works with a half dozen veterinary clinics to take care of the animals’ health care needs. Pawfest offered animal owners a chance to get low-cost vaccinations, but those will be available more often when the clinic is up and running.

In addition to vaccinations and other care for the shelter’s animals, the clinic will offer microchips and spay and neuter services, according to shelter documents.

To learn about the expansion, go to animalhouseshelter.com/expansion.