The crowd lined up to take selfies against dog-themed backdrops and had their pets painted with washable decals. Doggie Paradise at The Queen Mary was not quite for dogs, but rather, catered to dog lovers.
The Queen Mary partnered with Vanderpump Dogs, Sept. 14 to host the first Doggie Paradise, a festival for dog owners and their four-legged friends at the The Queen Mary Events Park.
According to Alexandra Wiedmann, the events marketing manager for The Queen Mary, Doggie Paradise was organized when they realized there was a need for the dog-friendly community of Long Beach to come together and celebrate their “family members.”
Vendors, pet adoption services and food trucks settled around the park for dog owners and enthusiasts alike to browse. Opposite from the vendors were multiple activity areas for dogs, including a large, fenced area for dogs to run around and inflatable pools filled with water for dogs to splash in.
Dogs were everywhere at the event. Small terrier mixes boldy yanked their owners to greet playful Labradors, Shiba Inus and Corgis relaxed in the shade near the stage. Dogs of all breeds sat comfortably in strollers while their owners visited different booths.
Every half hour, workshops were held for attendees to learn about dog care. One in particular was from TranquilPET, Canine Aquatics & Holistic Healing Center. Founder Jean Brusavich provided an array of services dedicated to the healing and well-being of dogs, including Reiki, a hands-on technique used to calm anxiety and create relaxation.
“I incorporate this, especially for first time [dog] swimmers,” Brusavish said. “I’ve had a lot of people say when I finish swimming their dog they were a lot calmer than they thought they’d be. And I really believe it’s the Reiki.”
Brusavich is a Reiki Master Practitioner, who first learned about the practice when she took an animal massage class in 2011. Though she clarified that her services are not a substitute for proper veterinary care, Brusavich enjoys seeing all the dogs that respond well under her care.
Located near the workshops tent was Kriser’s, a holistic pet store with locations in Venice and Studio City. Owners were quick to line up to the booth with their dogs in their arms as employee Cydny Garcia, applied pet-friendly spray paint decals in the shapes of paw prints, flowers and bones. The moment Garcia finished, owners were quick to take out their phones to snap a shot of their colorful pets.
Near the front of the entrance was the main stage, which held a watermelon eating contest for dogs and owners to participate together in. Melody Foxx joined in with her dog Emilia, a three-year-old shepard, husky and bulldog mix whom she endearingly called her “village dog.” Emilia was found in Mexico and weighed 44 pounds before she was rescued by Foxx. Now, she is a dog who wears outfits and is trained to perform tricks.
Emilia was not the only dog there with a difficult early life.
Onnie Hull, a dog photographer partnered with TranquilPET and K911 ResQ, owns a pet photography studio in Manhattan Beach. Hull owns three rescue dogs and talked about her most recent addition.
“Jack’s my last one,” Hull said. “He’s an 18-month-old golden retriever and he was kept in a garage for the first eight months of his life and given up to rescues a couple of times. So when I was taking his adoption pictures I said, no picture necessary, he’s coming home with me.”
One of the pet rescues in attendance was Sunny Saints, a rescue that for the past 11 years, has fostered Saint Bernards, a breed that is the first to be euthanized due to its large size. CEO Pam Henry was visibly sentimental when she talked about her first Saint Bernard, Pearl. Her desire to give the breed alife led to Sunny Saints and their efforts to find forever homes for each dog.
That was what Doggie Paradise was about. Beyond the Puppuccinos, Instagram-worthy photo ops and hot dog eating contests were people invested in dogs. The large crowd was a testament to that, with men, women and children all moving about with their best friends.
John Blizzard, public relations and marketing from Vanderpump Dogs, expressed similar sentiments when asked about the organization’s involvement.
“[Doggie Paradise] is offering a lot of different educational aspects, which is really important to us, because it’s not only about having fun and getting some nice treats, but also learning about different ways to improve your dogs health,” Blizzard said “Something like this, where it’s all in one cohesive place-it’s perfect.”
