Animal lovers can get a jump on their holiday shopping at Dakin Humane Society on Nov. 4.
That’s when Dakin will host more than 30 craft vendors for its second annual Whisker Wonderland event, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 171 Union St.
The event is in just its second year.
“It was a big hit last year,” Kaitlyn Holloway, community engagement manager for Dakin, said. “We’ve doubled the number of vendors. Anyone who came to last year’s event can expect to see many more vendors – and a wider variety.”
Holloway said that more than 425 people came out last year to take a stroll through the inaugural Whisker Wonderland and shop for gifts for their two and four-legged friends.
“All of our vendors are pet-centric or geared toward animal lovers,” Holloway said. “People can purchase gifts for their pets or animal companions or grab gifts for themselves or friends who are animal lovers.”
Admission to the event is free, but donations are welcome. There also will be a bake sale and a chance raffle with numerous prizes up for grabs.
“We have volunteers who will be baking all kinds of goodies for the bake sale such as cookies and fudge,” Holloway said. “We have a lot of great baskets for the raffle. We’ve had donations of crystals, and a large custom-made cat tower that was a big hit last year as well baskets for kids and pets. We have something for everybody.
Holloway said raffle tickets will cost $2 each or $10 for a bundle of six.
The goal for Whisker Wonderland is to raise $6,000.
“Most of the funds will come from visitor donations, the bake sale and the raffles,” Holloway said. “We want to encourage people to shop local craft vendors, so we keep the fees low for them.”
Money raised from the event will benefit the many services Dakin Human Society offers, including vet care; their spay and neuter clinic; pet loss support for those grieving the loss of a pet; and Dakin’s Kitten Street Team, which works to reduce the feral cat population.
Funds also help support animals that are placed in foster families by paying for supplies, medical care, food, and more.
Holloway also said that Whisker Wonderland is great for getting people to come out to Dakin’s facility, where there are animals they can visit if they are thinking about adopting a pet.
Animal visits will not start until 12:30 p.m. so the animals on site can be properly cared for.
“We usually have 25-30 cats and 6-8 dogs available at any given time,” Holloway said. “We also have other small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and ferrets.”
