Photographer Pia Ferrari joined Kalen Hayman and the rest of the PETnews team this past weekend at WOOFSTOCK, Toronto’s world-famous “doggie love-in.” Proudly billed as “the largest outdoor festival for dogs in all of North America,” Woofstock attracts tens of thousands of canine-lovers and their four-footed friends for two days of fun and festivities that include crazy contests, a fashion show, and a Ms. & Mr. Canine Canada Pageant.

Check out Pia’s full photo gallery HERE!

Missed out on Woofstock? Mark your calendar now: Winter Woofstock is coming, November 17 & 18.

Posted by Christina Dun

Some dogs are cut out for more than just playing in parks and running around the house — they have what it takes to be trained to help people with visual or hearing impairment, physical disabilities and other medical conditions. The Purina Walk for Dog Guides is a national event, held in more than 250 communities across Canada, that raises money to help train dog guides. Each walk is organized by local volunteers, with support from Lions Foundation of Canada. This year’s national walk date was Sunday May 27

Last week, I got to cover Woofjocks with the PETnews team. While the Purina walk in Toronto didn’t have dogs jumping over hurdles or running through obstacles, there were plenty of enthusiastic canines — and their owners — on hand to enjoy a great day for a great cause. Purina president Karen Kuwahara was there with her dog Belle to do the official leash cutting, which kicked off the walk down Queen’s Quay.

All photos by Christina Dun. Follow her blog HERE.

Posted by Christina Dun

Our newest PETnews contributor, blogger Christina Dun, joined Kalen, Michael, Jonelle and the rest of the team this past Saturday at Purina PawsWay Toronto as Woofjocks presented thrilling demonstration of agility, flyball, freestyle disc and other canine sports. Check out the full photo gallery HERE, and don’t forget to follow Christina’s blog HERE.

For all you Toronto dog or cat owners looking for pet-friendly places to spend a great long weekend afternoon, PawsWay is the place to be. Located at Queens Quay, it’s full of activities, exhibits and special events for both you and your pet. And on Saturday May 19, Woofjocks was the highlight of the day.

Woofjocks is an educational and entertaining variety-type show with the goal of demonstrating that dog training can — and should — be fun. It’s all about building relationships with your pet. And even though I don’t have any pets of my own, I do love being around animals, so shooting this segment for The Pet Network was pretty fun.

When we arrived, the Woofjocks show had already begun, so we got settled and started getting footage of the event. I’m not used to photographing animal events, so it was a challenge to get good shots — they were constantly moving, and I’ll admit, I do get distracted when cute dogs are around. But in the end I think it went well.

Woofjocks showcased agility, speed, and obedience, along with choreography to music and fun tricks. Following the show, Kalen and Michael set foot onto the obstacle course and shot some footage while trainers and their dogs ran around them. It was pretty entertaining to watch.

Some other great features of PawsWay are the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, a breed match station, and the Williams Fresh Cafe.

Check out the full photo gallery HERE.