A pet parade and animal adoption event will be held on Sunday, May 1, in West Hartford Center.

Image by pet photographer Sonja Zinke, who will be on site at the pet parade on May 1 in West Hartford. Courtesy

By Ronni Newton

Pets are invited to strut their stuff in West Hartford Center in an event that is intended to be fun for families and also serve as a fundraiser for Pets for Vets – an organization which connects military veterans with rescued animals.

Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 1, in the Webster Bank parking lot at 65 LaSalle Road. Pets and people will be able to register through 9:30 a.m., and after that will walk the parade route from the intersection of Arapahoe and LaSalle to Farmington Avenue. The parade is scheduled to end at 10 a.m.

Alyssa Caliendo, branch manager for The Moxie Group, the West Hartford team representing residential mortgage lender Bay Equity Home Loans, is the organizer of the pet parade. “We enjoy hosting community engagement events and connecting with our neighbors,” she said. “This event benefits the Pets for Vets organization which reflects our collective love for animals as well as our commitment to helping veterans. We offer a Giving to Heroes residential loan program for anyone who is a veteran, or who works as a first responder, in education, or in healthcare.”

In addition to the parade, Sunday’s event will include face painting and a bubble station for kids to enjoy. The Yard Goats mascots, Chompers and Chew Chew, have been invited to act as honorary co-grand marshals of the parade.

Professional pet photographer Sonja Zinke will be on hand to take “red carpet” photos as pets arrive, Caliendo said, and each pet will receive a swag bag.

West Hartford Animal Control will also attend the event, and share information with the public, and will showcase animals available for adoption.

Participants are asked to make a donation to Pets for Vets either in advance or at the time of registration. The suggested donation is $10 per pet. Click here to register.

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